Frequency
by Rose Garden Twilight
Summary: Adrien thought university would be a breeze. But between his coursework, live up to his family name, and girl issues, it turns out more than he bargained for. After Lila spoils the college radio program for him, He starts an underground radio station taking up the persona Chat Noir. The anonymity soon catches up to him, making him wish people would see the real him.
1. Chapter 1

**A.n.-After about a month of work, finally ready to post this. Can I say how thrilled I am? Because I am. I've had this idea in my head for months, and now I get to write it. (And more importantly, you can read it. )**

**A big thanks to CallMeAkumatized who betaed this while my usually beta had life. Also, thanks to everyone who knew this about this project and helped cheered and pushed me to continue.**

**Just because of limitations to list more than two pairings, the main pairings are: Love Square, Alya/Nino, Plagg/Tikki ( Humans ), and Chloe and Luka**

**So without further ado, Frequency.**

* * *

Marinette stopped at the front gates of the university and let out a gasp. This place was enormous in comparison to _lycée_. Getting into Sorbonne on scholarship had been all her parents had talked about for weeks to anyone who would listen. Now that she was here, Marinette had no choice but to make them proud.

Her journey had a rocky start. She had to reassure her father multiple times that she didn't need him to escort her to the grounds. Everything would be fine this morning; her trip only consisted of a short train ride and then a quick walk to school. With every step of the twenty-minute walk from the station, Marinette confidently lugged her suitcases behind her. However, when she set her gaze on the university that would be her home for the next four years, that confidence was shredded to tiny bits and fell to the sidewalk.

Students flooded past her all-knowing which way to go, or at least pretending they did. Once Marinette wanderer through the halls which dumped her out in the quad. Various students all shouting for her to join their club. Bushes lined the edges of the open space, and there was plenty of spots under trees that would make perfect study spots once classes began.

She could do this; all she needed to do was find the office and get her room assignments and schedule. Then she could spend the remainder of the day exploring the rest of the campus and get textbooks for her classes.

Marinette must not have been watching where she was going, because a student came out of nowhere collided with her shoulder. He muttered a "Watch it!" under his breath before continuing on his way. A light pink color dusted her cheeks along with a sheepish grin as she pulled her luggage closer.

"Sorry!" Marinette called out, although the student didn't seem to care.

Thankfully, the university had well-labeled signs to direct her to the office, so Marinette made quick work of the campus. Unfortunately, a fair number of students crowded the room, creating a line out the door. Once she took her place, Marinette could see the frazzled staff behind the counter—this might take awhile. All the chairs around her were full as other students waited for assistance for their issues.

Determined not to allow her attitude to go sour, Marinette took the opportunity to distract herself with one of her favorite activities; people watching. She could see a girl sporting black shorts and an orange tank top that matched her ombre chestnut to foxy red hair. Her face was locked in and determined as her eyes scanned the phone screen in front of her.

Marinette wondered what enthralled her so much that she blocked out the world around her.

"Excuse me!" a blonde girl screeched at the woman behind the desk. "Do you know who I am? I've been sitting here for ten minutes and heard nothing from anyone. It's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous."

Upon further inspection, Marinette found the upset student was dressed in bee colors with a voice that could sting to match. If she got someone like her as a roommate, Marinette didn't know what she would do. She watched as the staff tried to calm the blonde and succeeded, if only for a little while. There were more than a dozen students in here, all with issues of some sort. The line was moving, but she had been waiting for a good thirty minutes without being seen.

"Next!" The lady at the counter yelled, signifying Marinette's turn. She hurried to the desk and received all her information involved with being a freshman. Regrettably, she would have to go somewhere else for class specifics, but at least she had her housing location to drop off her suitcase.

Marinette thanked the woman and left, happy to head outside again.

The happiness quickly faded as some anxiety kicked in. Marinette's palms began to sweat, making it difficult to grip her suitcase handle tightly. With the vast campus, she could wander around for another twenty minutes without finding her room. Marinette stopped one of the orientation staff standing off to the side, and they gave her some quick directions towards the dorms.

On her way, Marinette passed a food court, and the tantalizing smell alone that leaked through the doors made her stomach grumble. Maybe it had been a while since she ate, but she would have to add to her list. Navigating the food court with her luggage would be more of a hassle than what she wanted to deal with. Her lips curled into her teeth, and Marinette kept walking despite the growling from her abdomen.

It only took five more minutes of speed walking for her to reach her dorms. The hallways winded around like a snake, and Marinette was sure she had been turned around at least three times. She was lost, no doubt about it. By the time she did arrive at the room matching her room assignment, Marinette couldn't help but breathe out a sigh of relief.

She could hear a voice coming from inside; her future roommate was in there. Suddenly her stomach twisted in knots.

What would she be like? Would they get along?

There was only one way to find out. Marinette knocked twice and then proceeded to enter.

"Well, hello there!" a chipper voice greeted. The girl in front of her sported deep red hair, sparkling blue eyes, and a warm smile from her roommate instantly made her feel at home.

"My name is Tikki. What's your name?"

"Marinette, Marinette Dupain Cheng."

Maybe the semester wouldn't be so daunting after all, especially if Tikki was as lovely as she seemed.

Tikki's brow furrowed, "That's not the name that I received." She dug into her items to pull out a piece of paper and passed it over to Marinette.

Did she just happen to drag her suitcase to the wrong room? That would be just her luck. Her eyes darted from the paper that she received from the office to the one Tikki was holding. Both papers stated the same room, but Tikki's listed a different name for her roommate.

"An office error?" Marinette muttered to herself. If finding the room wasn't tricky in the first place, now she had to navigate campus again to the front office to sort this out. She couldn't just go home. If Marinette didn't find her room, then the study library would be her bed tonight. Not her idea of comfort.

"Oh no!" Tikki exclaimed. "It must be a mistake, but I'm sure if you go to the housing office, they can fix it." Her optimism was resilient. Marinette could only wish that she could hold the same outlook. It was nearly midday, so she guessed all the lines would be longer by now with all the college students who decided to sleep in today.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tikki offered kindly with a small smile.

Marinette sighed. "No, I'd hate to ruin your day too. They'll sort it out." She didn't believe her own words, but it wasn't Tikki's fault the school messed up the room assignment.

"Well, only if you're sure," Tikki replied hesitantly as she grabbed a pile of clothes and started to store them away in her dresser.

"Yeah, I'm sure." Marinette grabbed her bags and headed straight for the door.

"Marinette?"

Tikki's voice stopped her in her tracks.

"I just want to say; I really hope that you are my roommate."

A genuine smile softly found its way to Marinette's lips as their gaze met. "Me too."

* * *

Alya scrolled her phone as she walked the trek to the bookstore. She had spent most of the day in the office that morning. The first half hour was expected, but after, Alya spent her time diving into the cyber web reading the news and researching journalists to remind herself of the dream she was chasing. Nothing would get in her way.

Her world halted when she collided with something hard, knocking them both to the ground. Thankfully, her screen didn't crack when her phone flew from her hand; otherwise, she would have exploded. The object that she ran into was a guy with a blue hoodie, jeans, and red kicks. Alya could hear the music blaring from his headphones that had slipped off his ears. His papers had spilled everywhere, and he jumped into action to start collecting them.

She had seen him in the office this morning; he had been scribbling away in a notebook. One paper that landed in front of her revealed a doodle of a turtle. Out of all the things he could have been drawing, Alya would never have guessed a turtle. Maybe it was his spirit animal?

"I'm so sorry; I wasn't watching where I was going." The stranger held out his hand to help her off the ground. "My name is Nino. Are you okay?"

Alya held out the paper he lost, "I'm fine, I suppose it's both of our faults." He hadn't taken his eyes off of her since they ran into each other. The sound coming from his headphones drew her attention; she had to admit it sounded like a sick beat that she could be into. Maybe she would be able to listen to it completely one day.

"Are you a transfer or a first year?" she pried. She rather enjoyed watching his eyes blown wide, and his mouth drop. Alya didn't blame him one bit for not remembering her. They sat on opposite sides of the room; after all, he must not have seen her.

"First year," he responded, face scrunching together in disbelief. "How did you"-

"I make it my job to notice," she replied playfully. "Comes with the territory of being a journalist."

He took a step towards her. "If you're going to write a story on me, I insist you buy me coffee first."

Was he flirting? The butterflies in her stomach started to flutter.

"You wish, turtle boy." Alya couldn't resist the urge to banter back or wink for that matter. If she weren't careful with her flirting, she would lose track of time. She still had to go to the bookstore and then meet her roommate, someone named Tikki. With such an unusual name, Alya could only hope for incredible stories from her as well. She was a woman on a mission, after all.

"I gotta go!" Alya grinned, grateful that she got to walk away with the upper hand.

"Wait!" Nino shouted out after only a couple steps, "I never got your name."

Alya glanced back a Chesire smirk on her lips. She sauntered back, making sure she swayed her hips as she walked.

"I'll tell you what, turtle boy." Alya said as she helped herself to Nino's phone and started to type in her info. "If you can figure out my name, then we'll go on a date."

Maybe it was a little presumptuous of her to assume that he was single, or that he even wanted to go out with her, but the red color spreading on his cheeks said otherwise.

"Deal," Nino blurted out.

"I'll see you around." Alya's attention turned back to her phone; she had promised that she wouldn't be afraid to go after what she wanted in life. Nino was cute, and they seemed to have good chemistry, so why not amuse herself with one date?

* * *

"This place is everything I ever hoped," Plagg exclaimed before devouring the plate full of cheesy goodness.

Adrien smiled to himself and allowed his eyes to wander the room and students passing by, taking it all in. He couldn't believe his father allowed him to come to Sorbonne, but a year and a half of unashamed begging had paid off. Although there were strings attached, Adrien didn't mind because he was still here. He already felt closer to his mother by going to the same school she had.

The room was littered with tables of students eating their food. On the far side, Adrien could make out a couple of couches planted in front of some televisions. He made a note to keep an eye out for any gaming tournaments. Without even trying, Adrien could pick apart who the new or transfer students were. They were the ones not speaking to anyone, while the upperclassmen created most of the noise echoing the room. The most notable was the football team a couple of tables over chanting the name "Kim."

"Yeah," Adrien parroted, "It is." His eyes landed on the window by the door just in time to see a dark-haired girl pass by in a hurry lugging a pink suitcase behind her. Adrien's mouth dropped, and he found himself watching until she disappeared from his view. With such pretty girls attending the school, he would have to stay focused on his studies, unless he wanted to face his father's wrath.

Their spots gave them front row seats for anyone entering the food court area. Adrien couldn't help but frown when he witnessed a guy who walked had a small spat with the football players who were leaving and immediately took a seat alone. He sported a blue hoodie, a pair of red headphones covering his ears. Adrien's lips tipped into a frown. He knew what it was like before he had met Plagg; alone and dejected with not many friends to speak of. Adrien decided he wouldn't let someone else feel that way if he could help it.

"I'll be right back," Adrien announced, standing to his feet.

His mother had taught him to be a friend to everyone, and if he could be that person, then maybe he could make a difference. He made quick work of the food court until he stood to the guy's side.

"Hey, my name is Adrien."

Silence filled the air as he waited for a reply. Maybe he didn't hear him, but still, Adrien made sure that he was visible. Doubt flickered within him about if starting up a random conversation was the right move.

Eventually, the guy looked taking his headphones off his ears and tilting his head.

"You say something, dude?"

Adrien's mind started to flounder, trying to grasp how to reply. Judging by the confusion plastered guy's face, the stranger could see through him to the nerves bundled up inside. He had to start again. Although if this were his only awkward encounter today, everything would be alright.

"Hey, my name is Adrien. What's yours?"

The stranger gave him a once-over glance. "Nino."

Quietness emerged once more. This time though, the awkwardness even more pronounced because Nino's eyes were glued to him waiting for him to continue. Adrien glances back at Plagg before swallowed down his fear. "Do you want to sit with us? We have chili cheese fries," he added for extra measure.

Nino's gaze followed back to his table, where Plagg was devouring his food. He stood without a word, gesturing for Adrien to lead the way. Maybe it was the promise of fries that swayed Nino to join, but either way, it worked. Plagg would have to get over sharing food with one more person.

The two boys walked back to join Plagg.

"Plagg, this is Nino." Adrien received a death glare upon from his friend the second Nino stole the first fry from the pile.

"So what were you listening to?" Adrien asked, trying to jump-start the conversation out of uncomfortable territory.

Nino nonchalantly shrugged. "It's just a mix I've been putting together."

Adrien's eyes widened excitedly. "Can I listen?"

Without much hesitation, Nino handed over his headphones. Adrien nodded towards him to cue the music.

Once the song started, Adrien knew within seconds that he wanted to hear whatever else Nino mixed. The beat thumping in his eardrums was hypnotic, and the main melody worked to complement it.

"This is so cool!" Adrien exclaimed, not aware of how loud he was talking with the headphones.

The song was over soon enough, and he had to relinquish the headphones reluctantly. Adrien knew without a doubt that mixing tracks would not be on his father's approved list of activities, but maybe he could live vicariously through Nino.

"How long have you been doing that?"

"Mixing? For a couple of years," Nino answered with a grin. "I have some more if you want to hear them."

"Absolutely!" Adrien grabbed back the headphones back as Nino fiddled with his phone. He managed to see Plagg pull the chili cheese fries towards them before continuing to munch silently. Something was wrong, Plagg was never quiet. But the concern faded as the next song blasted over the headphones. Adrien would talk to him later.

* * *

"Plagg, is something wrong?" Tikki asked, encasing her arms around her boyfriend's shoulders. He didn't respond, but she didn't need him to; her boyfriend was as easy to read as someone with no poker face. Plagg developed a habit of scrunching his nose and slouching when upset. Judging by the look of him when he walked into her room, today was one of _those _kinds of days.

Plagg continued to stew, which was his choice. But Tikki was going to continue to press him because sitting on negative emotions wouldn't solve anything.

"Hey, mister grumpy cat, if you tell me what's bothering you, maybe I can help."

His lips twitched in amusement at the nickname.

"It's Adrien," Plagg answered after another pregnant pause.

"Now we're getting somewhere." Tikki smiled and lowered herself onto Plagg's lap, arms still draped across him. "What happened between you and Adrien?"

"Why does Adrien have to be so _Adrien _ all the time?"

Before Tikki could get a word in, Plagg's rant took off.

"This was supposed to be our year! We both begged Adrien's father so he could even come to Sorbonne. Everything was going to be perfect, and what did he do? Invites this Nino guy to our table and he promptly starts to steal my cheese fries and win over Adrien with his music mixing abilities."

"What if this guy can become your friend too?" It was a reasonable idea. If Adrien was determined to hang out with this Nino character, Plagg might become friends too if he tagged along.

"We have nothing in common," Plagg huffed.

"Now how do you know that if the two of you just met?" Tikki shot back resting her hands on her hips.

"I knew all I needed to know the second he stole my food."

"You let Adrien steal your food."

Plagg crossed his arms against his chest. "That's different. He bought my fries."

Tikki couldn't blame him completely for feeling replaced; the two guys had been tight since they were kids. It had always been "The Adventures of Plagg and Adrien," and now his best friend is threatening their dynamic by adding a new friend. But with time Plagg would adjust, and maybe even befriend this Nino guy; only time would tell.

Tikki sighed. "Look, I know shifts in friendships can be uncomfortable, but I do not doubt that Adrien still considers you his best friend." She kissed his cheek tenderly. "Besides, you forget that Adrien had to endure the same thing once we became a couple."

What was meant to soothe only ruffled her boyfriend further.

"This is different, and you know that."

Tikki fought the urge to laugh out of respect for his feelings. Plagg could work himself up into a frenzy sometimes.

"It's a shift in the friendship, but you two will survive." She gently cupped his cheeks and hoped that she could provide all the reassurance that he needed. "Besides, I can think of one plus for Adrien having a new friend."

Plagg eyed her warily. "What's that?"

She answered in a kiss, then another, and another.

Plagg looked adoringly up at her. "Did I mentioned that I loved you today?"

Tikki tapped his nose playfully. "Not yet," she teased.

"What a grievance! I'll correct right away. " Plagg exclaimed.

Her boyfriend always did share a flair for the dramatic. Maybe that's why he and Adrien got along so well.

"I love you, Tikki." She rolled her eyes before snuggling further into his chest. Nothing would be more perfect if they could stay this way all day.

* * *

Marinette may as well have been a rag doll, being tossed from child to child. The staff didn't know what to do for her situation, so they passed her from one overworked person to the next until she had finally landed in the chair in the headmaster's office. By this point, Marinette doubted that, despite the headmaster's standing, that he could figure out what went wrong either. The older man paused, using his palm to flatten his brown suit before pacing back and forth a couple of times. Marinette sunk further in the chair watched and awaited his judgment. Although the seat was comfy, that was the only cozy thing about the office. She couldn't be sure, but the owl figurines that lined the bookshelves along the back wall seemed to watch her. The headmaster's gray hair suggested that he either lived a long life or stressful one. Her situation certainly wasn't helping with that.

Despite his graying, he managed to maintain black eyebrows. They furrowed together in contemplation and Marinette had to stifle a laugh; when his face fell to that pose, resemble a southern white-faced owl.

Headmaster Damocles released a dejected sighed as he sunk into his chair.

"Mlle. Dupain-Cheng," he started. "I don't know how to tell you this, but...there was an error, and all the dormitories are full."

What? No, no, no, this couldn't be happening. She did not just lug a suitcase all over campus, only to have her sleep on a campus bench, or worse, send her home. Her parents tended to be overprotective and still treated her as their baby girl, even though she was beyond that.

"Maybe in a few weeks, they'll be some openings when students transfer into the Greek life houses."

To commute to school every day would be annoying, even for a couple of weeks. Not to mention, there were no guarantees a room would become available anytime soon. What would she do then? She had begged to live on campus; not just because of the commute, but Marinette wanted to prove to herself she could. Growing up, she barely spent much time outside the bakery. Her parents were supportive in all she did, but it was time to move on and spread her wings.

"M. Damocles," Marinette replied, "are you sure there's nothing that can be done?"

He paused, stroking his beard. "I suppose that there might be an opening in one of the suites."

Marinette froze in her seat, unable to believe her luck. For those who fortune had blessed with wealth and fame, the school provided suites for a "better learning environment."

Even with the scholarship, Marinette was sure that she couldn't afford such a place.

Damocles continued, "You could stay there for the price you would normally pay in a regular dorm if you agree to make up the difference by spending some time volunteering at say the library during the week for the semester?"

"Deal!" Marinette blurted out. She had spent plenty of time juggling her school work and helping her parents, so adding volunteering at the library along with her studies, shouldn't be too difficult. If this meant she would have a bed to sleep in, then she would agree to almost anything.

"M. Damocles, I need a word with you!" A voice screeched, as the doors behind her burst open. Marinette jumped in her seat, but the headmaster seemed unfazed.

"Mlle. Bourgeois, always a pleasure. What can I do for you?"

Bourgeois, as in _mayor Bourgeois's daughter _?

It didn't take long to notice from the blonde's outfit that it was the mayor's daughter she saw throwing a fit in the office this morning.

"I was assured that your staff was competent this year," Mlle. Bourgeois continued. "And yet, there was no one to greet me as I arrived, carry my luggage and your staff didn't seem to know even who I am!"

"I'm glad that you brought that issue to my attention, and I assure you that it will be handled swiftly." M. Damocles replied. "However, there are other matters that I need to discuss with you, Chloé. Due to a housing mishap, I'd like to introduce you to Marinette Dupain-Cheng, you're new suite-mate."

_What?!_

"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous! I was promised my own suite this year!" Chloé's blue eyes flashed dangerously. "Do I have to get my daddy on the phone?"

"Please do." It was almost if M. Damocles was daring her to. "I can't wait to tell him how his loving daughter so selflessly gave up part of her room to help a student in need. That he should be proud that Chloé is emerging as a leader bettering the school within just the first week."

A stare down began between the two opposing forces. On one side, a restless headmaster and the other a spoiled rich girl used to getting her way, both tight-lipped and looking like they would explode any second. Who would break first? Marinette couldn't tear her eyes away. She knew she had already agreed to the headmaster's terms, but did she really have to room with _Chloé _? She had only spent a couple of minutes with her and knew she was insufferable.

The best case scenario was that a room would open up in a couple of weeks, and Marinette could transfer yet again.

"Fine," Chloé seethed through the fakest smile Marinette has ever seen.

"I knew you would see it my way," headmaster Damocles beamed. "I trust that you will show Mlle. Dupain-Cheng to her room."

"You stay in that corner over there." Chloé pointed to the empty area that the other bed was shoved into. At least it was the standard size that she had seen in Tikki's room, but the small space she was given guaranteed that she would be doing all of her sketching in the library and only using the place to sleep.

_Nice to know she's reasonable about this, _ Marinette thought dryly.

"You are so fortunate that I decided to share my room with you, but I have a couple of rules." Chloé's tone chilled the room.

"Rule number one, no friends. The last thing I need is to spread any more lameness in my room. Number two- no food in here. I don't want any bugs just because you decided you were hungry. Lastly, keep your mitts off my stuff. In case you didn't know my daddy is the mayor and has just enough contacts to make your life miserable." She pointed her finger at Marinette's chest, "So keep quiet, and don't get in my way."

Chloé stormed out, leaving Marinette to finish unpacking alone.

The whole time, all she could do was wonder how things got so screwed up that sleeping in the library was more tempting than in a suite. Marinette face planted into her bed and groaned.

Why couldn't she have roomed with Tikki?

* * *

**Thank you so much for reading! Let me know what you think of the chapter. I have a little bit of a buffer with this story, but the comments, favs and follows spur me to keep pushing out more content for you all.**


	2. Chapter 2 Wavelength

**A.n- I wanted to thank you all so much for the support on the first chapter. You all are amazing. I truly hope you enjoy this chapter.**

**Thanks to CallMeAkumatized for betaing. You rock.**

* * *

Marinette found solace in the coffee shop on campus, and it was gaining ranks in her favorite spot beside the hideaway in the library she had discovered today. The lighting was calming and inviting with a soft glow, and if she slipped on noise-canceling headphones, then she could comfortably snuggle up in one of the couches and get lost in her little world as she sketched. Her assignment wasn't due for another week, but she couldn't wait to get started on it. Sketching designs would always be one of her methods to relax; she could be free, only limited by her imagination.

She had been interested in design for years now, and the fact that she was one step closer to fulfilling that dream was exhilarating. If she had been able to attend a full-fledged fashion school, that would have been the dream. Unfortunately, most of the schools were either expensive or selective, but Marinette's determination wouldn't allow her to give up. If she learned the business side of fashion with her minor here at Sorbonne, it would set her up for success when she wanted to start a store.

"Marinette!"

Marinette heard her name muffled through the headphones. Her gaze shot up from her drawing to two girls standing in front of her. Marinette recognized one as her almost-roommate, Tikki, but the other name remained hazy; although she could have sworn, she had seen the girl before.

"I'm so glad we bumped into each other again," Tikki happily chirped. "I'm guessing that the school fixed your rooming situation?"

"Fixed" wouldn't be how she would choose to describe it, but there was no reason to correct her. So Marinette nodded, her lips tucked up into a tight smile.

"Can we sit down?" Tikki hesitantly asked.

Marinette nodded and moved her stuff to clear the space the two girls needed. It would be nice to have some more female interactions besides Chloé and the head librarian on a daily basis.

"Oh!-" Tikki chided herself. "Where are my manners? Marinette, this is Alya, my roommate."

Marinette held out her hand. "Nice to meet you." She couldn't be mad at Alya for being Tikki's actual roommate. It wasn't her fault; she was stuck with Chloé.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Alya mused. "So you're a fashion student, aren't you?"

Marinette resisted the urge to ask how she could possibly know that until she realized her sketches were showing.

Alya continued: "From the looks of things, you're pretty talented."

Marinette hugged the notebook, her cheeks heating up in embarrassment. Not many people had seen her work except for maybe her parents, Luka, and her teacher. Most of the time, it wasn't due to shyness, but in fact, it more had to do with the fact that the drawing wasn't finished. She poured her soul into her work until it drained her completely, but all the energy was worth losing if it meant the creation of a perfect outfit.

"So, where did they end up rooming you, Marinette?"

Although Marinette was sure Tikki was trying to help her out with the conversation, the jump in subjects did the opposite.

"I'm…" there was no use trying to hide the fact, they were bound to find out eventually. "I'm staying in the Winston dorms."

Tikki and Alya replied in unison.

"No way!"

"How did you get that lucky?"

"I'm rooming with Chloé Bourgeois," Marinette muttered, grabbing her other arm.

"As in the mayor's daughter?" asked Alya.

Marinette couldn't hide her cringe. "Yup, that's her."

Tikki and Alya started with one question right after another about what Chloé was like. But Marinette almost didn't mind, the more she answered, the more concerned they seem to be for her. They offered for her to come over whenever Chloé got a little too much or if she ever kicked her out. At least now she had a backup plan if things ever spiraled out of control.

After a few minutes, the subject changed, and they all got lost in conversations about hobbies, classes, and anything other than her rooming situation. Marinette smiled to herself when Alya passionately ranted about a gross injustice that she intended to rectify when she became a journalist. Marinette did not doubt that Alya would achieve her dream one day; then she could say she knew the journalist before her big break.

In the end, she owed Tikki and Alya from crashing into her little bubble. With a campus this big, moments like this made her feel a little less alone.

* * *

"If I just—" Marinette's pencil hovered over the page, her mind searching for the next step in the equation. Why did her math class have to be so complicated? It had only been a week, and the teacher had dove straight into merciless material. At this rate, she would have to go to office hours for tutoring with the teacher's aid just to keep up.

University had been different than she expected, even as a learning opportunity. She was glad that she made a deal with the headmaster, even if doing so meant rooming with the likes of Chloé. She spent most of her time outside her room, and at night she would only receive a simple glare from the blonde before Marinette passed out on her bed. She tried to stay optimistic about the situation by reminding herself that she was lucky to be here in the first place.

"Excuse me, miss," a familiar voice suddenly sounded from behind her. "I was hoping that you could help me."

Marinette gasped. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

"I'm looking for my friend, " the voice continued. "She's about this tall, dark hair, piercing blue eyes, and is taking life way too seriously."

He hadn't even finished talking before she stood upon the raised platform where she was studying and jumped into a hug.

"Luka!" She exclaimed as the guy twirled her until her feet hit the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't tell me you've forgotten." He released her only to use his free hand to ruffle her hair. "I go here too, remember?" he teased.

In all the craziness of the first couple weeks of college, she forgot. She knew Luka chose to go Sorbonne, but Marinette could count on two hands the days they spent together over the last two years since he left for college.

"I actually stopped by the bakery yesterday," he sheepishly admitted. "Your parents went on and on about how proud they were that their baby girl was going to Sorbonne." Luka leaned in, invading her bubble. "Gotta say, Marinette, I'm disappointed that I didn't hear it from you. Would have given you a proper welcome if I knew."

Marinette stomach jerked, but she pushed away whatever feeling had spawned due to his closeness. Luka had always been there for her and her family. She had practically grown up with the guy. He had earned brother status because he never made a move on her. Not that she was disappointed, not anymore anyway. Any time she spent with Luka was well worth it.

Marinette punched his shoulder playfully, pushing him back to normal distance.

"I'm sorry, school was so hectic, I must have forgotten."

It wasn't like she meant to forget; the first week was so busy with teachers throwing things at her every second. Between that and dealing with Chloé, volunteer work at the library, and her studies, everything else faded away.

Luka looked down, eyes soft. "Well now that I know, I'll have to keep my eye on you."

"I'm not some young kid anymore." Marinette crossed her arms over her chest.

Just because Luka was two years older didn't negate that she had grown up too. She wished that he would see her as an adult.

"No," he teased with a smile that contained a secret. "You're not."

A silence fell between the two, one full of things unsaid. The heat crept on her face despite how much she wished it wouldn't. She had to break up the tension forming before she blurted out anything she would regret. "How about I make it up to you? Coffee on Thursday after this test. We can drink to my victory of surviving M. Autry's class so far and catch up."

Catching up was a normal activity for friends, especially when they hadn't seen each other in months.

"I'd like that," Luka replied. "I should get going, Music class." His thumb motioned to the guitar strapped to his back.

"That's ok; it's almost time for my shift at the library." Her comment earned a weird look from Luka, but she chose to ignore it. "I'll fill you in on Thursday," she promised. Her word was enough to calm his curiosity. He gave her one last hug before heading towards his classroom. Marinette let out a sigh to herself. While it was nice to see Luka, it did bring questions to her mind that she hadn't thought about in years.

* * *

"Why did we decide to come to this again?" Plagg rolled his eyes, following behind Adrien and Nino.

"This was the one activity I actually convinced my dad to let me do," Adrien explained, before turning back to Nino.

"I think it's kinda cool, being on the radio, being heard."

"Well, no one asked you." Plagg crossed his arms over his chest.

"Be nice," Adrien warned. "You can leave whenever you want."

"What? No way! The airwaves would be deprived without my silky-smooth voice."

Nino and Adrien burst into laughter. However, the picking fun at Plagg faded the second Adrien saw the recording studio. In the middle of it stood a brunette with vivid green eyes and a sly smile.

"This is Lila Rossi, signing off." A brunette in the booth said, before pressing a couple of buttons. The recording light clicked off, and she sauntered into the room with the recruits.

"So this is the fresh meat."

Adrien watched as her green eyes scanned all of them only to backtrack to him.

"I know you. You're Adrien Agreste, right?"

Adrien had never related to prey more in his life by the way Lila was eyeing him, but she was expecting an answer. "Yes." The words were sandpaper against his tongue.

"Well, I'm sure we can find somewhere to put your pretty face."

"Lila, I thought I told you to go over the rules," the headmaster coughed and crossed his arms. Adrien couldn't have felt more relieved that M. Damocles entered the room when he did.

"Right away, sir." Lila beamed with a phony smile. "I was just about to." The answer was enough to gain the headmaster's approval, and he left to check on the next club, Adrien could only assume.

To his relief, Lila remained focused on her task at hand and did not slide back into her flirtatious ways.

"Welcome to Badger Radio," she began. "We are so thankful for all your interest. I know all of you want to get on the air, but first, we are going to hold tryouts and, who knows? Maybe one day you'll work your way up. In the meantime, I have a list of jobs and rules for each one of you."

Adrien's eyes scanned the paper the moment he received it. The more he read, the more his eyebrows scrunched together. This couldn't be right. He exchanged a look between Nino and Plagg wondering if they thought this was bogus too. These rules didn't allow them any freedom in what they wanted to say or how to say it. The scripts were hokey at best and didn't sound like him at all. Adrien was under the impression that they would give him a little bit of freedom. If he did go forward with this, he wouldn't be honest with who he was or what he was all about. How could he make a difference among the student body if they controlled every word coming out of his mouth? How would he address the issues that people faced? Who would call in about their problems, if the topics never diverged from baked-good fundraisers or how well the quarterback did in the game.

Even with his name and reputation backing him up, change probably wouldn't come. Lila seemed confident, which meant she probably had the headmaster twisted around her finger. There were some things Adrien wouldn't do and flirt or even entertain Lila was one of them. She gave off a vibe that he didn't want to touch with a ten-foot pole, let alone his hand.

Nino stood up, bringing Adrien back to reality.

"Sorry dude, I'm out," he apologized before heading to the door.

Lila scoffed muttering something about not needing him anyway. It served as the catalyst to make Adrien rise to his feet, following Nino. He would find another way to make a difference; to let people know they weren't alone.

"Adrien!" Lila called out, but he ignored her.

Plagg remained by his side but didn't say a word until they hit the outside. "What happens now?"

Adrien didn't have an answer.

* * *

Chloé brought the coffee cup up to her lips, enjoying the feeling of the warm liquid running down her throat. Relaxation was just what she needed after the day that she had. The teacher granted her an extension on a paper that she didn't know how even to start; she would have to have Sabrina bounce ideas off her later. Even though it was her second year here, she still had something to prove. All her good grades and accomplishments didn't even bring one smile to her mother, but she refused to give up. Before she graduated, she vowed that she would get her mother's approval, no matter what.

Chloé stood, not being able to put off her study time anymore. At least the room would be empty because it was Marinette was busy in class.

She didn't get more than a few steps towards the door before a body collided with her, and she almost dropped her precious coffee. Chloé turned intending to rip whoever bumped into her into shreds, but any savage remark faded when her eyes landed on the guilty party and his blue-tipped hair.

"Luka?" Chloé whispered. This had to be a dream or a reminder of the horrible decisions she made over the summer. Why was he here? To taunt her a second time? "What are you doing here?" She could barely muster up her usual confidence.

"I go here."

"You should have told me!"

"You never asked." He flashed a Cheshire grin. "I seem to remember you having other things on your mind."

The burning sensation spread like wildfire across Chloé's cheeks. Her body reacted, using her free hand to smother Luka's mouth. She nodded weakly to a nearby stranger beside them. He made it sound so much dirtier than their whatever-she-called-it was. They had moments together; sweet, tender moments. Chloé thought she loved him at some point, but like all good things in life—it ended.

"Not so loud," she hissed. As the mayor's daughter, she had a reputation to protect. She could feel a lopsided smirk forming on Luka's lips against her hand, and her blush deepened. Curse the butterflies in her stomach for betraying her. Chloé jerked her hand away.

"Are you embarrassed by me, Honeybee?"

Damn him and that nickname! It was too much. "I'm sorry, I can't do this," she uttered. The longer she stayed, the more old feelings and memories were dragged to the surface. She couldn't fall for him again, not now when she had her sights set on Adrien again. Chloé did the only thing she could think to and raced towards the door. Once outside and out of view she took off in the direction of her dorm not caring if it was a much farther run then she was used to. Tears welled in her eyes, as memories flashed in her mind. She pushed herself harder, hoping she could outrace her mind. The last thing she needed to concern herself with was thoughts of Luka gently serenading her to sleep while he played his guitar, or how when she kissed him she could hear a melody unfold in her mind.

Chloé slammed her door once in the safety of her room, not caring if it drew the attention of the floor. She wouldn't allow herself to see him—she couldn't.

* * *

After a week, Marinette decided that volunteering at the library wasn't all that bad. Most of the time it was quiet as a mouse and if she got all the books sorted and shelved then Ms. Saywer allowed her to sit until more work came in or to browse the vast music selection. Marinette promised herself if she studied for half an hour during her shift then the rest of the time she could get lost in the sounds of Jagged Stone or another group she grew up with.

Unfortunately, five minutes into her break, she was called back where another rather large pile of books awaited her.

Among the aisles, she started to put books back where they belonged with the hope that if she didn't get distracted, she would finish before there was more work.

"Psst." A voice caught her attention.

Marinette looked up from her books, but she didn't see anyone in her surrounding area.

"Psst."

There it was again, that voice. She couldn't have imagined it. She rounded the corner to see a blonde guy ducked behind a CD rack.

"Is she gone?"

Marinette's eyebrows narrowed. Who was he talking about–?

"Sabrina, are you sure you saw him come in here?" A familiar voice demanded. Marinette looked over to see Chloé resting her hands on her hips. The "sweet" mayor's daughter had shed her nice routine and was on a mission to find a particular guy—

_Wait a second. _

Marinette's head whipped back to the hiding blonde whose face was frozen with fear. His eyes pleaded her not to give away his position.

"Madeline!" Chloé called out.

"Marinette," she corrected, though her hope was dwindling Chloé would ever remember her name.

"Whatever," she rolled her eyes. "Have you seen Adrien Agreste come in here? Adrien Agreste? You know, the model? I need to talk to him."

Chloé must have been just far away enough not to see that she wasn't alone. And if Marinette had her way, the mayor's daughter would remain in the dark; she stepped closer to the cd rack to prevent her roommate from getting any closer.

"Why would a model even talk to me?" Marinette argued, hoping it was enough to save the guy. "Now you're being ridiculous, Chloé." It hadn't even taken three days to learn how to be left alone, even if it meant taking small digs at herself.

"Useless," Chloé muttered loud enough for Marinette to hear before grabbing Sabrina's hand and marching in the opposite direction. She waited until the two rounded the corner before her head turned in the model's direction. "They're gone, Adrien."

"How did you know?"Adrien tentatively stood to his feet and dusted the dirt off.

Marinette couldn't help the smirk that appeared. "It wasn't that hard to figure out." Good deed done for the day. She could continue the twenty minutes left of her shift in peace. But after a couple of steps, his voice stopped her.

"Wait," a hand grabbed the crook of her arm gently. "Let me help you."

Only after Adrien grabbed some of her load did Marinette let her eyes linger on him. He stood nearly a head taller than her with light wavy blonde hair that she could surely run her hand through for hours. His sparkling green eyes paired with a dashing smile, and as he held some of her books, she could see some of his arm muscles through his overshirt — Yup-Definitely model material.

"You really don't have to."

"I want to," Adrien urged. "After all, it's not every day that I get saved from the likes of Chloé."

Marinette started walking in the direction of the next aisle with her stacked book thinking that Adrien would separate from her to get his "thank you" out of the way as soon as possible, but to her surprise, he followed her.

"So what do you do to Chloé that made her chase you down?"

Adrien burst into laughter, catching her off guard. "Nothing."

Marinette wished that his laugh didn't encourage her heart to swell inside her chest.

"Chloé's and my family have known each other a long time," he confessed. "She wants to be my girlfriend, she's told me time and time again, but I don't feel that way about her."

"Why don't you? I don't know, tell her?"

"It's not that easy. When Chloé gets an idea in her head, she gets pretty stubborn." Silence settled as she put back two more books. Marinette's mind muddled over her thoughts. As attractive as Adrien was, she couldn't allow herself to drift off into the what-ifs of a relationship. Although it would be hilarious to see the smug look wipe straight off her Chloé's face, the backlash would be more than she could probably handle. Chloé had all the connections to make her life miserable and knew she held such power.

"What about you? Doesn't your boyfriend mind you spending long hours here?"

"No, he doesn't," Marinette paused. She didn't want to lie to him, but if she told him the truth, he might try to hit on her. In the end, she caved to his charming smile. "Because he doesn't exist." "Oh," he replied, tone drifting upwards as he grabbed another book from her hands. Her heart betrayed her by beating faster. "Besides, I'm not looking for a boyfriend right now; I have to keep up my studies to maintain my scholarship," Marinette added to ward off any intention of making a move.

Adrien rested his elbow against a nearby bookcase. "So a smart girl, huh?" He flashed a smile that could make her knees melt into nothing. His only downfall came when he went to place his head in his palm, he missed and ended up smacking his head against a shelf instead.

Marinette couldn't help but laugh—only to get shushed by people around her. Heat fluttered to her cheeks, as she sheepishly turned her focus back to Adrien.

"Come on," she grabbed his hand and started tugging him in the direction of the stairs. "I'll show you my favorite place here. Maybe you can use it in your endeavor in hiding from Chloé."

Adrien didn't know what to expect, but he was perfectly content following whatever Marinette was leading him, especially if it meant he could spend more time with her or he could hide from Chloé. He had recognized Marinette almost instantly the moment he saw her walking around the library putting the books away, but lost any nerve to talk to her. When he saw Chloé and Sabrina enter the library and start to question the people behind the desk, Adrien had ducked and prayed that she would give up looking for him. Thankfully, Marinette was just as kind as she was pretty and saved him.

Although the second she led him to the fourth floor, his palms started to sweat. Plagg had informed him what other activities the fourth floor was used for. Adrien thought he was kidding, but the farther into the fourth floor, the more obvious the couples making out between the aisles became. What did Marinette—?

"We're here!" she announced, pulling him back from the rabbit hole, his mind would have entertained willingly.

Adrien blinked at the sight of a small nook with several large windows that overlooked the entire campus.

"I found this place on the second day of volunteering," Marinette continued. "Ms. Saywer sent me up here to break up the couples making out." Color found her cheeks once more, and Adrien could only gawk. How could she get any more beautiful?

Adrien took in his surroundings. If a couple wanted to make out, this would be the perfect spot. "They don't bother you here?"

"Nope," Marinette answered, sliding down the wall before tucking her arms around her legs. "They know if they anger me, I'll send the head librarian up here and then they would be in real trouble. This is my own little slice of paradise, away from everything that's out there."

"There are so many people down there." Adrien leaned forward to press his palm against the glass, eyes glued to the people in the quad, unaware they are being observed.

"I guess that's one way to look at it," Marinette mused.

Adrien's stomach swirled inside as he watched the people down below live out their lives without any inclination that they were being watched.

"Do you ever wish that you could make a difference?" Adrien whispered loud enough for her to hear. He thought that he could with the radio station, but nothing would change as long as Lila was around.

"What would you do?" Marinette asked, turning her full focus off the view and onto him.

Adrien sat for a second. He had so much that he wanted to tell people he didn't know where to start. His mind flashed to his encounter with Nino and that one little act that began a friendship.

"I think everyone needs to know that they're not alone." He smiled to himself, "I tried to join a club, but it's not anything like I thought it would be. Everything is scripted, and the people felt so...fake."

"It sounds like an easy solution to me," Marinette piped in.

"Huh?" She didn't even know which club he was talking about. How could she already have a solution?

"If you don't like how it's run, why don't you start your own?"

"Start my own," he breathed to himself. To do so would take so much time out of his schedule, there's no way his father would approve. But if he snuck behind his father's back—

"Oh! The time! I need to go." Marinette scrambled to her feet.

Adrien followed suit. "Already?"

"Yeah, I have an appointment with my professor to go over test materials."

She was leaving? He didn't want their time to end; he had just begun to scratch the surface of this beautiful and amazing girl. At the sound of a gasp, Adrien realized that he grabbed her wrist to stop her.

"Marinette," their eyes connected, and suddenly it began much harder to figure out what to say. "Thanks for everything." It was sufficient and not all at the same time, but Adrien hoped that his gratitude resounded.

Marinette gently smiled back, melting his insides in the process.

"Of course," she replied with a wink. "what are friends for?"

Marinette disappeared before Adrien could get another word out. He missed her almost immediately with the nearly dead silent floor and wondered if she was aware of the light and happiness she carried with her.

Unfortunately, she wasn't looking for a boyfriend, or at least that's what she said. He would honor that notion, no matter how much he wanted to pursue her. If the best thing he could be were her friend, that would be enough.

"Start my own," Adrien parroted to himself. He couldn't handle everything on his own, but maybe—

He whipped out his phone and composed a text to Plagg and Nino to meet him in the cafeteria as soon as possible. They were going to start their own underground radio station.


	3. Chapter Disc-Jockey

**A.n.- So who is ready for a solid three days of updates? lol. I am a horrible author who didn't realize I forgot to update. But you'll get 3 chapters over the course of the next couple of days to make up for it. I hope you enjoy**

* * *

Adrien had set out cheese fries on the table for both of his friends before they even arrived. A little bribe never hurt anyone, after all. The food would no doubt instantly transform any bad mood they were in when they got there.

"There's cheese fries!" Plagg blurted out as he reached the table. He caved to his temptation for a few bites before his head shot in Adrien's direction.

"You only buy me cheese fries when you want something. Spill, Agreste."

"Not yet," Adrien replied, cracking a smile. As much as he wanted to explain his plan if he did, he would have to re-explain the whole thing once Nino arrived.

Plagg put down the fries altogether and crossed his arms against his chest. "What are you waiting for?"

"If I would have known there was free food, I would have gotten here faster." Nino interrupted, rubbing his hands together greedily. Plagg guarded his portion, glaring at the new-found friend.

Adrien's lips twitched down into a frown as he witnessed the interaction. He had hoped that after a couple of weeks, Plagg would come to accept Nino. Apparently, more time was needed.

"I called you two here for a very important reason." He glanced between the two of them. "I want to start my own radio station with you two."

Confidence oozed out of him at first, but when Adrien didn't get a response right away, panic started to step in. Maybe further explanation was needed. "After we left the radio booth, a friend helped me think: Why couldn't we start our own?" Who would have thought that Marinette's simple suggestion would have been the spark he needed to launch this? He would have to thank her at some point if he ever saw her again.

"I could think of a couple of reasons," Plagg's sarcastic reply was muffled as he shoved more food in his mouth. Adrien rolled his eyes - that was just like Plagg to be pessimistic - but that didn't mean that he wasn't interested.

"I mean if we did we could discuss different topics, no scripts—just open honest radio that gives people a voice who feel like they don't have one," Adrien continued.

"I'm in," Nino volunteered. "It would be a way I could test out different mixes. But if we're going to do this, we're going to need a space. I doubt Lila would allow us any time in her studio. We would need somewhere with not a lot of people around, so our mics don't pick up the extra sound."

"Not to mention my father," Adrien piped in. If his father found out, there was still a chance he wouldn't allow Adrien to continue. Being in a school-approved club was different than starting something from scratch. "He can't find out. Just think of it, we could be underground. Have nicknames, say what we want as loud as we want."

Adrien turned all of his attention to Plagg. He knew that Nino would be an easy sell, but Plagg's face was difficult to read despite the years of friendship between them.

"I think I might have a solution to the first problem."

* * *

The trip was worth the fifteen-minute walk despite all the questions Plagg received along the way. In their defense, it wasn't as if he gave Nino and Adrien much of an idea where they were going. He stopped when they rounded the corner at a shed-looking building.

"It's not much, but my grandfather gave me this space a couple of years ago hoping I would transform it into a workshop of sorts. Now it's just a paradise when I need a break from everything, but in your case, I don't mind sharing." Plagg hadn't hesitated when he realized this place was exactly what Adrien needed. The sacrifice wasn't as big as it could have been; he was planning on telling someone soon. He was just looking for the right opportunity. As his luck would have it, the moment found him.

The sounds of his company's gasps when they stepped inside made pride swell up in his chest. "The outside isn't much to look at, but inside is home sweet home." There were a couple of couches, a table, and some chairs, and a gaming system to boot. This place had acted as a home away from home.

"Dude!"

Obviously, Nino was easy to impress, but Plagg couldn't care less about his praises. The real person whom he needed approval from was Adrien. He was the only reason Plagg offered his safe haven in the first place.

"I thought we didn't keep secrets." Adrien bumped his shoulder playfully. "Why didn't I know about this place?"

"I'm a man of many mysteries," Plagg shot back.

"What do you think Nino, can you make this space work?"

Plagg tried not to scoff. How could this space not work out? With the location, they could pick up a signal that included all of the university and a fair distance outside. Not to mention they could high-tail it back to campus if Adrien's father ever stopped by for a surprise visit.

"It would take a couple of days to get my hands on the right equipment and haul it over here, but I think so!" Nino exclaimed optimistically.

Plagg couldn't ever remember seeing his best friend grin so wide.

"Then we go on air later this week!" Adrien pumped his fist in the air.

Plagg offered to take on the responsibility for advertising and creating flyers. This pet project obviously meant a lot to Adrien, and he didn't want to step on his toes. Nino obviously would work the equipment, and if he wanted the chance to contribute, he would have to jump in wherever he could. His eyes shifted over to his friend, who appeared to be wrapped up in his own thoughts.

"Earth to Adrien, are you there?" he teased.

"Uh, yeah," Adrien stammered, snapping back to reality.

Normally Plagg would let it go, but the blond's cheeks flushed with color.

"Where were you just now?"

"Nowhere." The answer was short and controlled. Plagg knew he wouldn't get any answers, but he did file the curiosity back in his mind to explore later.

* * *

"So explain why we have to do this in the middle of the night while I should be asleep?" Plagg whispered fiercely.

Adrien ignored him as he stapled another poster on the board.

"Because if we are going to run an underground radio station, we can't have people see us advertising for it! Our cover will be blown."

"At three in the morning?"

"You've always been a night owl, so why are you complaining?" Sure, his best friend complaining wasn't new to Adrien - he had dealt with it for years - but something about this was different. "If something were wrong, you would tell me, right?"

Plagg leaned against the nearby wall, folding his arms, but chose not to say anything. This might be worse than Adrien imagined. They always had a friendship where they could be open and honest with each other. When had this changed?

"We don't have time for this; we have posters to hang."

Plagg headed towards another usual popular spot on campus, and Adrien could only follow. By the time he reached him, his temper had started to flare. Why wouldn't Plagg tell him what was bothering him? He grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled until his best friend faced him.

"No, we need to discuss this now." Adrien's voice got louder matching his emotions, and he hoped he didn't draw attention. The radio station was important, but his friendship with Plagg was worth more to him. Adrien wasn't even sure he could pull this off, and if they were fighting their chances of success diminished.

"Who's out there?" A third voice chimed in, paired with a flashlight shining too close for Adrien's comfort. The rule with posting anything on campus was that any flyer needed to be approved by the headmaster, except in one designated area in the far side of campus that never had any space because of the constant influx of advertisements. Unfortunately for Adrien and Plagg, they weren't anywhere near there. They could not afford to get caught with their stack of flyers.

* * *

"No!" A string of curses escaped Nino's lips as he crossed the room to deal with parts of the equipment sparking up. His equipment might be a little old, but it never let him down before. If it wasn't broken, he saw no reason to replace it now.

A ding emerged from his phone, earning his attention. It must be Adrien hanging up the posters; he hoped that nothing went wrong. But to Nino's surprise, the text didn't belong to Adrien, but rather the mystery girl that he ran into on the first day.

**Do you have any more guesses?**

He couldn't help but wonder what she was doing up this late. She could be studying for exams that she had coming up, but this early in the morning?

**Nino: Well, aren't you a night owl? **

His fingers couldn't type fast enough. The prospect of seeing the dots show up on his screen made him giddier then he'd care to admit to anyone.

**I could say the same thing about you, turtle boy.**

The things this girl made him feel. It should be illegal.

**Nino: Is your name, Maria?**

It was a free guess; there was no reason behind it besides she looked like one.

**You would like that, wouldn't you? :p Wrong answer though. I'm starting to think that you don't want this date. **

Nino blinked down at the message. No, that wasn't true at all. Maybe he had been more preoccupied over the last couple of days gathering the equipment, but he still wanted the date.

**Nino: If you just give me your name, then we could go out on a date tomorrow.**

The reply was typed out not even ten seconds later.

**Where's the fun in that? I'll be nice and give you a hint. My name starts with the letter "A."**

That was more of a lead than he had to go on before. Nino shoved his phone back in his pocket after one more guess. He couldn't afford to be distracted, Adrien was counting on him.

* * *

"Hide!" Adrien hissed, grabbing Plagg's arm to yank him behind the column plastered with posters. This wasn't good. They would get in even more trouble if they were caught out this late, let alone caught putting up unauthorized flyers.

"Anyone out there?" The security guard called out again.

Adrien could have sworn that his heart was pounding so hard it would give away their position. He watched as the light caressed the edge of their hiding place and could feel all the air rush out of his lungs.

Security yelled out one more time before turning down another corridor.

"I think he's gone," Plagg whispered.

It took several seconds before Adrien could bring himself to move. "We should probably head back to our dorms for the night, but this conversation isn't over."

"Yeah, yeah," Plagg waved off the statement before heading in the direction of his dorm.

Adrien knew that he should head back too. At this rate, he wouldn't be able to get to sleep until past four because of the excitement. They plastered advertisements for the radio show airing in three days, and tomorrow the whole school would see it when they woke up. Adrien couldn't wait to hear their thoughts; it would be an added rush of adrenaline.

He stumbled through the main door, up the stairs, and fell immediately on his bed once inside the comfort of his room.

Adrien closed his eyes, and his mind drifted slowly over to thoughts of Marinette. He wanted to see her again, maybe enough to stop by the library later this week. She (and the creation of the radio show) was the highlight of his week. He needed to tell her that he took her advice, that he could still make a difference. Adrien smiled to himself, slipping in and out of sleep, his mind promising sweet dreams of the cute librarian.

* * *

A knock pulled Tikki's attention from her textbook. Seconds later, Plagg's head poked through. "Hello Cookie, working hard, or hardly working?"

Tikki swiveled in her chair, crossing her legs before coming to a stop "Wouldn't you like to know?" she asked, cocking an eyebrow.

"Well," Plagg rested his hands on either side of the desk before swooping down from behind to place a kiss on her forehead. "If it's the latter, I have a couple of ideas about how we could spend the time."

"Hmm," she hummed. "But then we wouldn't go on our date."

"There's nothing to say we can't order some take out and watch a movie."

Tikki tapped the tip of his nose, "And snuggle?"

Plagg captured her lips in a quick kiss. "And definitely snuggle."

Her face lit up. "Great, you order the food, and I'll grab our entertainment for the evening."

"You know what I realized?" Plagg whispered over the movie. "How different life would be if I never met you. I would be a lost kitten to the world."

Tikki snuggled closer, enjoying the warmth radiating off of him. "I'm sure if that were the case, someone would adopt you." "They wouldn't be the same as you," Plagg protested. He squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"You're right; they wouldn't." Tikki left it there, knowing that the anticipation would slowly start to drive Plagg crazy.

"What about you?"

The second he asked, Tikki's lips rested in a lazy smirk. "What about me?"

Of course, she wouldn't rather be with anyone else. They had been dating for three years, but it felt more like a lifetime of memories. However, unfortunately for Plagg, she loved getting him ruffled with her teasing.

"I don't know." She tapped a finger on her chin playfully. "I always found Nooroo cool, and I'm pretty sure Wayzz or Pollen had a crush on me at one point."

Tikki barely had any time to process before her boyfriend twisted and hands jumped to her ticklish spots.

"Take that back!" he demanded.

"Never!" she managed to get out between breaths. The other students of the floor would probably complain at the volume of her laughter, but it's not like she could help it. Her body writhed until Plagg straddled her to pin her movements.

"What do you say now?"

"I'd say I'm in love with my boyfriend and couldn't imagine life without him." She meant every word: being with Plagg may as well have been breathing.

Catching him off guard with her answer, Tikki managed to roll, so she was on top of him. He looked so adorable with his shocked expression that she couldn't help but kiss him before releasing him from her hold. If Alya walked in on them, Tikki would be responsible for buying her some ice cream to apologize for any scaring.

A beep from her phone drew her back to the desk. It was a text from Marinette. She answered it and paused to look back at Plagg.

"Hey." Tikki wouldn't normally play cupid like this, but after hearing about her rooming situation, Marinette deserved something to go her way. 'Is Adrien still single?"

"I think so, why?" Plagg tilted his head to the side. "Is he someone you wanted to date too?" he teased

"No," Tikki shot back playfully. "But I do have someone that would be perfect for him. Her name is Marinette, and she was supposed to be my roommate."

"Supposed to be?"

"It's a long story, but do you think Adrien would be open to the idea? I think they would really hit it off." Plagg would have to trust her on this; she had a sense when it came to relationships. Unbeknownst to him, she had done this in the past, when Nooroo had confessed that he had a crush on Duusu and she had helped him gather the courage to ask her out.

"I could ask."

Tikki rested her arms on his shoulders and stole a kiss. "And that's why you're the best boyfriend in the world."

"Well," Plagg drew out the word, his lips tucking back his smile further. "I do have a pretty great girlfriend."

"I love you," she replied, and she meant it. Every time she said those words, it reassured her just how lucky she was to have Plagg. She had a crush on him for a year before he had asked her out. He had shown signs of returning her feelings, but it still took him several months before he made a move. Not that Tikki was complaining, because she was thankful for every day with him since, even on the days that they fought. There was no question in her mind: they were better together.

"I love you more," Plagg insisted.

Yeah… she was lucky to him.

* * *

Marinette allowed her focus to drift to her coffee. It wasn't like Luka to be late, but here she was sitting at a table all alone looking like a girl who got stood up.

She supposed she should have known better. Luka had a busy life between his band, school, and all the friends he had already made within the first couple years here. Sure, she grew up with the guy, but a small voice whispered that he grew out of their friendship. As difficult as that reality might be, friends growing distant was a part of life.

"Sorry, I'm late."

Luka's voice made her jump as he helped himself to a seat.

"I was almost done with an essay for class when my computer shut itself off for an update. I almost had to redo the whole thing."

A sense of relief flowed through Marinette. He didn't forget about her! A computer meltdown could happen to anyone.

"It's ok," Marinette reassured with a smile.

"No, it's not," Luka's lips rolled into a tight line. "I said I would be here; then I didn't even text you that I would be late. Let me at least make it up to you by getting you another coffee or tea. You usually get green tea, right?"

"Uh...yeah."

Without another word, Luka was back in line to fetch Marinette another drink.

How did he remember?

Marinette sunk further into her seat, allowing her thoughts to take her captive. How could so much and yet so little change over the last couple years? Luka was still the same thoughtful, caring, charming guy that she knew, but somehow, throughout the last couple of years, things had shifted, and they had grown further apart.

"Hello, earth to Marinette," Luka teased Marinette out of her stupor. "You were always a dreamer, weren't you?" A bemused smile played his lips.

"Sorry," she blurted out, sure that her cheeks displayed a brilliant pink tone. She hadn't expected him to return so soon and catch her off guard. "I was just thinking about..." her voice faded out. She couldn't very well say that she was daydreaming about him. "...my design project. I drew some sketches, but something feels off."

Luka shot her a knowing smile that made her muscles tense. Could he really read her all that well?

"I have faith you'll figure it out; you always do. Your designs are great because you throw all your passion into them. Step back and look at it again."

It wasn't terrible advice. She had been obsessing over the outfit almost non-stop. Maybe looking at it objectively would help.

"Thanks, Luka." There he was, always having the right thing to say.

A bell signaled another customer, and Marinette couldn't help but notice Luka's head snapping towards the door.

Almost as if he was waiting for someone.

"Luka, is everything okay?" No doubt, he had been distracted since he arrived. It had gotten to the point where Marinette began to worry.

"Yeah," Luka's lip curled between his teeth, and she could hear his feet tapping underneath the table, both of which was a nervous habit of his. "I was hoping that I would run into someone. We didn't part on the best terms the last time I saw her."

One word caught her attention. "Her?" Marinette asked.

"Over the summer, I attended this arts camp of sorts: music, art, theater, dance. I was supposed to be focused on my music—I didn't need any distractions. But then I met her. We spent almost every free moment together. On the last night, she broke things off with me, and I couldn't understand why. I'm sure she avoided me until it was time to leave. I'd looked for her all over, and even texted her. Things never added up with why she ended things."

Marinette could barely process what she was told. She hadn't realized that Luka liked anyone. Suddenly, entertaining her old feelings for him was a silly prospect.

"Then I ran into her the other day," he continued. "I had no idea that Chloé attended here."

Marinette's blood froze at the mention of the name. This wasn't happening. An image of Luka and Chloé together burned itself into her mind, and Marinette wasn't sure she would ever be able to erase it.

Marinette didn't want to know the truth, not really. It was easier to accept that he had met another girl with the same name. Easier to believe that one of her oldest friends hadn't fallen for the likes of her roommate. Chloé didn't deserve Luka.

"Chloé, as in Chloé Bourgeois?" Marinette asked weakly, her heart screamed inside her.

"Yeah!"

Her heart sunk further in her chest at the way his face lit up.

"Do you know her?"

Marinette hadn't wanted to lie more in her life. Even if she omitted that they were roommates, he would find out eventually.

"Yeah, she's my roommate." The words were like sandpaper rubbing across her tongue.

"Do you think you could maybe talk to her for me?"

Out of the question. Luka didn't know what he was asked of her. There was no way in hell that Marinette would-

"I guess so," her lips betrayed her. If that wasn't enough, her next words twisted the knife. "What are friends for?" Marinette had no inkling what the matter was with her and why she would offer such a thing, but then again she always did have a hard time saying "no" to Luka.

"Thanks, Marinette. You're the best."

Yup, that was her. "The best."

* * *

The clock was ticking far too fast for Adrien's liking; he was running out of time. Friday had come far too quickly, and although he was hyped for the broadcast, his nerves were getting the better of him. Adrien couldn't help but wonder who would tune in to listen.

"You're all set," Nino leaned on the desk beside him. "I'll cue you when it's time. As long as that light is red, you're on the air. To mute your mic, you hit that button there. I'll handle the transitions between you and the songs. Any questions?"

Adrien had plenty of questions, but none of which he could voice. His mind was still buzzing from excitement.

"You have three minutes before we go live."

Wait.

Adrien needed a name, a persona to go by. He couldn't very well use his name or anything remotely similar. If his father were to catch wind of this pet project of his...Adrien didn't want him to have any chance of figuring it out.

Two minutes.

Why was his mind going blank when he needed something? How could he forget one of the most important things involved in anonymity? Otherwise, the student population would hear him babble on, not knowing how even to introduce himself.

"I need a name," he blurted out, desperately looking between his two friends. They spouted off names each more ridiculous than the next.

One minute.

Adrien's eyes darted around the room, searching for any form of inspiration until they landed on a sticker on the back of Nino's laptop. Along with a band's name, there was a black cat.

That could work. He doubted that his father knew that he loved cats. It was the perfect cover-up.

30 seconds

His heart pounded against his rib cage as his nerves protested once more to this idea.

What if no one listened? Or cared? What if Adrien didn't accomplish what he set out to do? The Agreste family wasn't supposed to fail; the expectation had been drilled into his mind since he was a boy.

"Dude!" Nino harshly whispered.

Adrien's head shot up to meet his friend's gaze. The red light was on. The entire campus was listening to the sound of his silence.

"Hello, is anyone out there? Anyone? This is YVR, Your Voice Radio. Your little beacon of freedom in a giant world. I'm Chat Noir, and I'm wondering, are you all tired of it?" Maybe not the best opening line, but it was stuck in history as the first thing to come out of the radio station. "We're constantly bombarded: Listen to this, look like this, be like this.'" Adrien thought back to Badger Radio, and why he left it in the first place.

"But before you follow along blindly, ask yourself 'why?' That's all I'm doing. What do you think? How do you feel? I know what I think, and I dig this song." A Jagged Stone song transitioned perfectly right on cue, thanks to Nino.

Adrien sat back in his chair, staring blankly at the microphone. He might just be able to pull this off.


	4. Chapter 4 As We Stumble Along

**A.n.- Here's chapter 4! Hope you all enjoy.**

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want to join me on air?" Adrien teased his fry poised mid-air. He, Nino, and Plagg had taken advantage of the beautiful weather and were outside soaking in the sun. The change in location didn't stop their planning for the radio show, though.

Adrien hadn't given up on the idea that Plagg would eventually join him on air. Multiple personalities would make the show more interesting than him babbling solo into the radio waves. However, his friend was a little less enthused and needed more convincing.

"Nah, I'm good," Plagg shot him down. "I have a date with Tikki tonight, but I know you'll kill it, just like you have for the past month." Plagg leaned back in his chair.

"Ok, but if you change your mind, all you'll have to do is ask." Adrien flashed a smile. He would eventually have others join him on-air, and then their opportunity to reach the campus would increase. He wasn't deluded to think that everyone would connect with his personality. "So, what I was thinking for tonight"-

"Adrien, funny meeting you here!" Lila's voice caused a shiver to run the course of Adrien's spine.

He quickly learned that running into Lila was something that he should avoid at all costs. Unfortunately, all of his evasiveness only made her more persistent.

"Well it is the quad, anyone is welcome here," Adrien replied. If he kept the conversation short, maybe she would leave quicker.

"I haven't seen you around the station recently."

"I've been busy." Even if he were to tell her the truth, he had a feeling she wouldn't accept it, from what he had seen of her, she got what she wanted.

"So what were we talking about?"

Adrien resisted rolling his eyes. Maybe wishing that she would disappear was too much to ask for.

"We were talking about YVR," Plagg jumped in.

"Oh." For one second, the smile Lila wore melted away into a scowl. "I thought you were talking about _real _radio."

"I hope you're not referring to Badger Radio," Nino shot back. "Because that's far from real radio."

If Nino was trying to accomplish riling Lila up, he succeeded.

Lila crossed her arms over her chest. "They are nothing but a wannabe station that tried, but eventually they'll fail. Nothing compares to my radio station. I run a tight ship. The same cannot be said the same lame radio."

"Then why did I see a poll online that said YVR were the ones to listen to?" Plagg joined in.

Their rival threw her clenched fists to her side."There's some editing I have to do for tomorrow's show," she steamed.

Adrien didn't want to call her on her behavior; if he did, she would only encourage her to stay longer and argue for her radio station.

"Don't be a stranger, Adrien." Lila's flirty tone returned. "You can stop by the booth at any time," she added with a wink before sauntering off.

"I think I'm slightly nauseous all of a sudden," Adrien admitted.

Tikki appeared then, wrapping her arms around Plagg's shoulders. "Don't tell me that you're getting sick?"

"No, that's just the effect Lila has," Nino answered for the group.

Tikki typically didn't add much to conversations like these, and today was no exception. She merely hugged her boyfriend tighter. The sight caused Adrien's mind to explore the idea of Marinette running up and wrapping her arms around him. His heart swelled at the daydream.

Her laughter brought Adrien back. He had allowed his mind to run away from him and chased after the pleasant thoughts with no regard to his company. She shot him a knowing smile, and he knew better than to ask what she said; it would only embarrass him further.

"Dude," Plagg taunted.

As he looked around, he noticed they were down one person from before. "Where's Nino?"

"He went off chasing some girl, while you were daydreaming about one," Tikki quipped playfully.

"I was not!" Adrien lied, but he felt heat dance on his ear tips, and he had no doubt that his body betrayed him. Thank goodness for his long hair to cover his body's betrayal.

"Don't even try to deny it," Tikki continued. "I know that look."

Caught in the lie, Adrien didn't have a retort. Tikki was always too smart. He pitied his best friend if he ever tried to lie to her. But the two of them were undeniably worked well together; she kept Plagg on his toes in the best way possible.

"I'm afraid I have a class to get to." Tikki pressed a kiss to her boyfriend's cheek and whispered something in his ear before bounding off once more, leaving Plagg grumbling and Adrien confused about the whole exchange.

* * *

Marinette had been dreading this conversation for the past week. She had promised Luka to have this conversation with Chloé, but every time she saw her, the idea got pushed back in her mind with dread. That is until she unexpectedly ran into Luka and he asked for an update. She should have known better; he wouldn't let this go.

So here she was, waiting for her roommate to come back so she could discuss the one boy they had in common.

Chloé entered their room, sipping on her coffee in what seemed like a relatively good mood. Now would probably be a good chance for that conversation.

It would be like a bandaid effect: a moment of discomfort, but she would be done with the horrible conversation.

"Hey Chloé," Marinette paused. How would she even begin this? She couldn't just blurt out asking how she felt about Luka.

"The other day, I ran into a person that could be a mutual friend of ours."

Chloé scoffed at the statement. "I doubt that any friends of mine would have such poor taste to associate with _you _."

Marinette couldn't stop her anger from flaring. "And why is that?" The question had been building since the day she had moved in. Chloé had fought tooth and nail just to ensure that she was board line as miserable as possible when Marinette hadn't done anything to offend her.

Chloé planted her hands on her hips."Because my friends have tastes."

"Well, _this _friend says that you and he met over the summer," Marinette snapped back. At this point, a side of her wanted to point out that Luka was_her _friend long before he even met Chloé. She couldn't lie; she did get enjoyment out of watching the color drain from Chloé's face from her statement.

"Su-summer?" Chloé choked.

Marinette knew she had gained the upper hand of this impromptu argument by her reaction. But before she had a chance to keep her advantage— Chloé continued.

"He put you up to this, didn't he?"

"No!" Her answer was more of a gut reaction than the truth.

"He did!" Chloé shouted, pointing her finger in Marinette's face. "He found out that you're my roommate somehow and decided to use you."

Marinette held her hands up in defense. "All he wants to do is talk, Chloé."

"I made it very clear to him that things between him and I are over."

"All you did was break his heart and slinked away!"

"Get out!" Chloé seethed, hot tears started to leak down on her face. "You are talking about things you know nothing of. I don't want to see your face for the next 24 hours. Find somewhere else to sleep tonight."

Chloé opened the door and gestured for her to exit. Marinette grabbed what she needed as quickly as possible before she obliged. She had already tested the waters of Chloé's wrath enough; if she edged her on, she might retaliate. The door slammed in her face.

Marinette took the coward's way out. Her curiosity told her she should have pushed Chloe for more information. But, obviously, she didn't want to open up, at least, not to her. Asking in the first place only opened her up to more ridicule and harshness from her roommate, as if she needed more. The promise she had made to Luka was the sole reason for risking Chloe's wrath.

Even if Marinette had gotten over her silly childhood crush on Luka, she almost owed him one uncomfortable favor after everything she put him through growing up. Hindsight was twenty-twenty, and if time had shown her anything, it was that she had clung to her friendship with Luka growing up. Marinette knew there had to be days where he would rather hang out with his friends, but instead, he was eating dinner with her family. This was her way of helping to give him back his life.

Marinette took the opportunity to sidelong at the door blocking her entrance to her room. Chloé's mood had shifted considerably since she started the conversation. She didn't know what to make of Chloé becoming upset. Did that simple act mean that she still had feelings for Luka?

* * *

"Wait up!" Nino shouted, moving through the student crowd, trying to catch up to the mystery girl, but at this point, she may as well have been lightning.

She must have taken pity or heard him call for her, though. Either way, she stopped with her hand resting on her hip.

"It seems you were too slow turtle boy," Alya smirked. "You do know what they say, right?"

"That slow and steady wins the race," he bit back a grin watching her expressions shift from smug to amused. The two began walking in the original direction she was headed.

"You could call me Nino, you know." He broke the silence first.

She hummed to herself. "I could. You don't like the pet name I have for you?"

The question sped his heart rate. He thought she used the name because she had forgotten his real one, but she was using it on purpose? Did she do this for everyone, or was he special?

"No, it's not that," Nino stammered. If he was special, then he didn't want her to stop. "I like more than just turtles though." He swallowed thickly as her gaze shifted to his headphones.

"May I?"

He wasn't in much of a position to say no, it would be rude. What's more, he _wanted _her to listen; he cared what she thought. Reluctant for her judgment, he handed over the headphones, and she slid them on. The second he pressed "play," Nino's eyes watched for any indication of the girl's thoughts. Besides a twitch of a smile that lasted only a second, the rest of her face held a straight poker face.

In the midst of the song, the one thing that Nino couldn't have anticipated, was when one of her classmates walked bye. The blonde smiled, waved, and greeted her by name as she passed by.

Luck must be smiling on him.

_Alya_. Her name was Alya.

Not that Alya was aware this exchanged had occurred, or that she was going to go on a date with him. By this point, she had her eyes blissfully closed getting lost to the beat of the song.

"That was pretty good." Alya handed back the headphones once the song was over. "I might be able to talk to one of my friends about hosting a"-

"Alya," Nino breathed out. He could have kept the information to use at a different time, but the only thoughts swirling in his mind was how much he wanted to go out with her.

A look of pure, wide-eyed shock smacked across on her face. A gasp escaped her gaping mouth.

"How did you-?"

The tables had been turned, and along with it, Nino's confidence skyrocketed. "I believe that you agreed to a date," - he eyed the foxtail necklace hanging from her neck- "clever fox."

Alya recovered quickly at the nickname, and her lips split into a smirk. "A promise is a promise. Were you planning on going to the back-to-school party this weekend? We could go together."

"And a second coffee date next week." Nino playfully added.

"Someone's confident if they're planning the second date already." Alya glanced down at her phone, "I have a class to go to but…" She leaned in and placed a quick peck on the edge of Nino's cheek. "I'll see you on Friday. Text me, _Nino _."

He could have melted on the spot with the way his name danced off her tongue flirtatiously.

"Al-alright! I'll text you!" he shouted after her after she started to saunter off towards her class. His smile widened as his excitement couldn't be contained. What just happened?

Nino hadn't initially planned to go to the back-to-school bash, but nothing could keep him away now. His stomach started to turn as seeds of doubt began to grow despite his excitement. Alya had called him out on how confident he had been about a second date, but what if he ruined everything at the party?

He shook his head to refocus; allowing his mind to swoop into a spiral of what-ifs wouldn't help him to remain level-headed. Friday was still a couple of days away, and he refused to worry until then. Besides, the radio station needed his attention, especially since they had a show tonight.

"Alya," Nino repeated for a final time. One thing he knew, Friday couldn't come soon enough.

* * *

Plagg ignored the urge to sulk. Tikki had made it clear what she wanted, and for some strange reason, she had it in her head that these two would be perfect for each other. Even though Plagg had never met the girl, his girlfriend had been going on about, and now he was supposed to convince Adrien to go on a date with her. If Adrien shot the idea down quickly, it could be filed away under "Tikki's ambitions" and forgotten about.

Tikki had left the Plagg alone with Adrien so they could talk. Before she left, she whispered, "Remember what you promised," and skipped away. Incurring, his girlfriend's wrath was not on his to-do list today.

Plagg eyed Adrien out of the corner of his eye, wondering the best way to ask him. Being direct would get the answer he needed, but Plagg had a feeling that Tikki wouldn't be thrilled with that course of action. However, Adrien never handled subtle well. His worst nightmare was that he would have to hold this whole conversation again because Adrien didn't catch on.

"Adrien," the name tumbled out before he finished deciding a course of action. This would end in disaster.

"What is it, Plagg?"

"Have you ever considered a blind date?" There went subtly out the window.

"I don't think Tikki would be very pleased with you asking me out," Adrien teased.

"It's not with me!" Plagg growled back. "And I'm serious."

"I haven't given a lot of thought about it if I'm honest," Adrien confessed. "If the girl I'm meant to be with is here somewhere, I'd like to think we would just happen."

That was the romantic in Adrien.

"So if Tikki has someone in mind that was interested, I should tell her you aren't?" Plagg could only assume that Tikki has already got her to agree. Either way, by the sounds of it, her plan was about to backfire on her. If Adrien weren't going to budge on the issue, then Tikki would have to break the news to Marinette herself.

"Who is it?"

Obviously, the idea of a blind date was that the two people hadn't met previously. Because if they had, then they would have gotten together on their own.

"It's this girl... she was supposed to be Tikki's roommate, but the school made a mistake. Tikki swears that you two would get along. Marinette is here for design and-"

"Marinette?" Adrien's surprise was undeniable. "As in the one that volunteers in the library?"

"I think Tikki mentioned something like that." Sometimes it was hard to retain anything his girlfriend said, especially when kisses followed.

"And Marinette...she went to Tikki about going out with me?"

Adrien was a little too excited for his own good. Was the campus that small that he had already met this Marinette chick? And by Adrien's reaction, his girlfriend got everything spot on once more.

"That's what I said," Plagg replied. "Why? Do you know her?" The question seemed pointless, given Adrien's previous behavior, but he asked anyway.

"Uh, yeah. We met in the library; she helped me escape from Chloé."

Amusement spread across Plagg's face as color spread across his best friend's. One could only assume that something had happened between him and Marinette. The information was too good to pass up a jab.

"Oh, I didn't know she was already your girlfriend." Plagg knew he had succeeded when the color deepened.

"It's not like that," Adrien snapped. "We're just friends."

Even without all of the years of friendship between him, Adrien was always a terrible liar. "Your mouth says one thing, but your blush says another," Plagg smirked. "I believe you meant to say you're just friends, _for now _."

Adrien ran his hand through his hair. "I don't know what to do, Plagg."

"You could-I don't know- ask her out?" There was no need to interfere further if the two of them already knew each other. But if Adrien needed a push, he could provide it.

"You think?"

"No, I _know_," Plagg replied teased.

"You're right," Adrien stated enthusiastically. "I'm going to ask her to the party on Friday."

At least Adrien sounded more confident than before.

* * *

Marinette often sprawled out on her bed when she knew that her roommate wouldn't be back for hours. Even though they hadn't spoken to each other in days, it was good to be back in her room.

Textbooks scattered in front of her called to her. However, before she jumped into her mandatory science course homework, a fire was lit to figure out what was wrong with her sketch for her fashion class. The assignment was due tomorrow, and she couldn't very well ask for more time. Her pencil tapped against her cheek to the beat of the song playing from her phone.

She would figure this out. Marinette was always hard on her own work. She figured it pushed her to do better. The first couple assignments were crucial to prove to her teacher that she had what it took to succeed in the industry. Letters of recommendation were golden when starting internships.

Luka had said if she just stepped back, she would be able to see what was wrong.

Luka…

Marinette's stomach twisted. She had dragged her feet with her promise to talk to Chloé; she would rather close her eyes and pretend the conversation had never happened. Luka would run out of patience eventually.

"Marinette?"

Apparently, in her focus on her sketch, Marinette failed to realize she left the door to her room wide open for anybody walking by to peek in. The saving grace was the Winston dorms didn't have nearly as much traffic.

"Adrien?"

Adrien hadn't meant to draw Marinette's attention, let alone call out her name. In fact, he was on his way to the library to see if he could find her, but then he heard soft singing. Just like a siren, he was drawn to the melody, and to his surprise, he stumbled into the Marinette's doorway. She seemed lost in her own little world eyes zeroed in on the paper beneath her and pencil tapping against her chin.

Her name tumbled out before he could stop it. When her ocean eyes jumped up to meet his, a lump formed in his throat. Adrien had considered her cute before, but after his conversation with Plagg, the heart inside his chest started to beat in double-time.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, sitting up from her bed.

She was expecting an answer.

_Think, Adrien, think!_

"I live one floor up. I heard the music and..." His voice faded out, and a slight pink color-splashed his cheeks before he could fight it. "Is that...?"

Marinette's eyes followed to where he pointed until her gaze met her shirt and Adrien could have sworn that the tips of her ears turned pink

"Oh, this?" She tugged the T-shirt away from her body. He couldn't bring himself to look away, mesmerized.

"My friend Alya decided to make them," Marinette continued. The words "Kitty Pride" written on it with a black cat's tail underlining the words. Right beneath the tail were the abbreviations for the stations, "YVR."

"With Chat Noir's popularity rising, we figured it was a great opportunity to sell them with cat ears and give the proceeds on his behalf to the animal shelters."

"You're amazing," he breathed out, not thinking.

"What?"

"I think that's amazing! Do you think I could get one?"

_Nice recovery, Agreste. _But judging by his motor skills, he wouldn't be able to keep a smooth persona for long; eventually, his dork side would surface.

"You're a fan of Chat Noir?" Marinette asked, tilting her head to the side

The irony was almost too much, but Adrien couldn't give himself away, so he played along.

"Of course," he answered smoothly. "He's different than most of what's on the radio."

"I haven't missed a show," Marinette confessed, as she began to dig through a box underneath her bed.

"Oh?" He tried not to sound too giddy. Knowing the campus was listening was one thing, knowing that _she _didn't miss a broadcast was another. If anything, it made him more motivated to continue what he had started. Marinette tossed him one of the shirts with a smirk.

"Why?" she questioned. "Are you going to tease me like Tikki does?"

"I would never." He crossed his finger over his heart. Hearing the one name had reminded him what he was there for.

"Hey, Marinette?" His fingers started fidgeting with the shirt in his hands to keep his nerves under control. "There's this back-to-school party this Friday, and I was wondering if you wanted to come?"

Marinette's nose wrinkled. "I don't usually do parties. I usually get left alone to fend for myself."

"What if I don't leave your side?" If she turned down the idea again, he would respect her decision. He hoped that she would come, it would give him a perfect chance to get to know her better and maybe have the guts to ask her out on a real date.

"Tempting," she retorted playfully. "Is the whole school invited?"

Marinette handed her phone over for Adrien to put his contact in. After three checks that he had the number right, he passed it back.

"I don't think they care who comes." The question didn't worry him. If anyone had a problem with Marinette, they would have to answer to him. His phone vibrated; no doubt it was Marinette texting him so he would have his number as well.

"So, is it okay if I invite someone too?"

_Wait, what?!_

Why would she ask that, unless-

"Maybe I can get ready with Tikki and Alya then we can all meet up with you there."

The thought dawned on him; she didn't realize that he was asking her out.

"No, Marinette, I-"

"Marinette, I thought I told you not have anyone. oh." Chloé's wrath halted the second her blue eyes landed on Adrien.

Did Chloé treat her like this all the time? Adrien turned back to see Marinette's mouth gaping open.

"Adri-kins," she cooed. "If you were looking for me, you could have just texted. No need to bother her."

"That's alright," a cool edge razored his tone. "I think I got all I needed." He turned his focus back to Marinette and offered a smile. "I'll text you," he promised. There was no choice but to text her unless he gave up his opportunity to go with her alone. Marinette nodded, and Adrien turned towards the door. Chloé followed closely behind until the stairs.

"You know Chlo," Adrien started. "If you gave Marinette a chance, you'd see that she's amazing." The comment shut her up, but that wasn't the intended purpose. Adrien didn't want Chloé to storm back into the room and give Marinette the tenth degree. Hopefully, his words simmered her down.

Chloé muttered some sort of agreement, which was good enough for him. He continued to climb the stairs and wander back through the hallway until he reached his room.

"What's gotten into you?" Plagg questioned as he face-planted into his bed.

"Marinette is amazing," he sighed into his comforter. He was so in over his head. Moving over to his side, he could see Plagg roll his eyes. "We now have merch." He held up the shirt. "I'm going to promote it on tonight's show."


	5. Chapter 5 Brave Face

**A.n.- I love you all and support you've shown this story. It's just starting to pick up, so buckle in. Make sure you read the ending author's note about the next update.**

**So life is busy and so are my betas apparently. This chapter is unbetaed, for now. Any mistakes I missed will be fixed eventually.**

* * *

**You're going to hate me.**

Marinette stared at the text message she sent Adrien a little more than ten minutes ago. Subjecting him to this kind of torture, she doubted that he would even want to see her ever again after this. But it was too late to go back in time and fix it.

She set down her phone, what good would agonizing over a response do? Adrien would answer in his time, Marinette just had the discomfort of waiting. What was that phrase her mom always said: A watched pot never boils.

Just like magic, her phone vibrated against the table.

**Adrien: Why, what did you do?** Another pause later, another message came through. **I could never hate you. **

Although sweet, Marinette couldn't understand how could he be so confident in his response? They had only started to become closer for a couple of weeks now, all things considered, their friendship was pretty new.

**Are you sure? **She texted quickly back. He was bound to find out; eventually, Chloé wasn't one to keep her mouth shut. She was probably already blabbing to the whole school that she had a date with the Adrien Agreste...and he had no clue.

**Adrien: Pawsitive**

Marinette smiled to herself, gripping the phone tighter. Adrien had a thing for cat puns, or rather, puns in general. She assumed the tendency towards the feline wordplay was due to being a Chat Noir fanboy. If something happened on the show, Adrien was the first one she texted armed with the knowledge that if he ever made fun of her, she could dish back out.

**So you know when Chloé barged in on us? **

As soon as Marinette hit send, she wished she hadn't. The wording caused her cheeks to heat. Even though nothing happened between them, anyone reading over his shoulder might assume—

**Adrien: Yeah? **

She was running out the story to stall with.

**So after you left, Chloé came back in and started questioning me. She...she kind of concluded that you were going to the party with her. **

There. The truth was out in the open. Marinette could only hope Adrien would keep his word and not disown their friendship right then and there. The cursed dots appeared beside his name, and Marinette felt the air being sucked out of her lungs. This was it.

**Adrien: Then I guess you'll have to help me hide from her all night. ;) **

She let out a long sigh she was holding. It was her fault that he was in the position in the first place. Helping Adrien hide from Chloe was a small price to pay, not to mention she didn't mind spending the time with him.

**Deal.**

A moment later, her phone buzzed again.

**Adrien: See you tomorrow after M. Fowler's class.**

Marinette smiled, fingers loosely gripped the device her hands. If someone told her she would be friends with a model a couple of weeks ago, she would have asked for the joke's punchline. They've only hung out a couple of times- including when they first met in the library, but every time they did spend time together, Marinette found herself not wanting it to end. Adrien was so comfortable to talk to; she felt as if she had known him for years.

"What's got you smiling like that?" Luka's voice made her jump.

"Nothing," Marinette replied a little too quickly, turning the screen away from Luka. Adrien was just a friend after all. Chloé had made herself clear; he was off-limits. She couldn't even pursue him if she did have feelings for him.

"You're hiding something," his eyes sparkled mischievously. "Who are you talking to?"

"No one." Marinette gripped her phone tighter.

Luka arched an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

She wasn't prepared for the onslaught of his fingers playing their own ragtime on her sides or the uncomfortable laughter that would ensue. Marinette did her best to hold the phone away from him, but Luka's long arms could easily overcome the distance.

The laughter died in her throat when she realized how close their faces were. Luka took advantage of her distracted state and claimed the phone along with victory. The interaction only left Marinette flustered. Had the fact they were close enough to kiss not affected him?

"Who's Adrien," he teased. "Did Marinette find herself a boyfriend?"

The words spurred her into action to retrieve her phone. Thankfully, in a jump that caught Luka off guard, Marinette grabbed the device and shoved in her back pocket before it could do more damage.

"He's just a friend," Marinette huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I don't know, that's a lot of messaging back and forth," Luka's lips tilted upward into a smug grin.

"We're friends," She poked him square in the chest. "Why? Don't you talk to your friends?"

Luka leaned in, invading her space. "Are you lying?"

There was one way out of this, and saying exactly what was on her mind, wasn't it. Besides, it wasn't a full lie, more like a half-truth.

"No, of course not!" She had only entertained the idea of Adrien once or twice since they met. The thoughts never would amount to anything, because even if Chloé wasn't a factor, Adrien was a model, and she definitely wasn't his type.

Luka didn't miss a beat. "Then why are you blushing?"

Marinette bit her tongue in order to fight the increasing heat inching onto her cheeks. When had she started blushing? She wouldn't win this battle with him, so her next best tactic would be avoidance.

"I assume you didn't come here to grill me on my _friend _choices."

"No, I came to ask you if you talked to Chloé."

_Oh, Right. That. _

Life would be too easy if she were allowed to forget the one favor she had agreed to.

How could she sit there and look Luka in the eye and tell him that her conversation with Chloé didn't go over well? Although, slightly relieved at the fact; she didn't want to be the one to break his heart.

"Well here's the thing"- She was going do it, tell him that the mayor's daughter had little interest in hearing his name, let alone talking to him. But then Marinette made the mistake of looking up into Luka's blue eyes. He looked so hopeful, and it made Marinette wonder more about what happened between them.

"She doesn't know how to approach you. Chloé wants you to talk to her; she just hasn't gained the courage to, not for real anyway." The lie stuck like bile to the sides of her throat.

"Really?"

_Coward._ He would find out she lied as soon as he tried to talk to him.

"That's great; I'll go find her and"-

"No!" The word tore from her mouth before realizing her outburst would be out of the ordinary. She needed to do some damage control. "How about the party on Friday? She'll be there." At least if Luka talked to her at the party and she rejected him outright, people would be distracted. The rumor of the guy that hit on Chloé would be forgotten by Tuesday at the latest, and that's if nothing else crazy happened.

"Thanks, Marinette," he replied. "Just text me the details. I have a music theory essay I need to knock out, but I'll see you tomorrow."

Marinette watched as Luka ran off before her conscious could get the better of her. Once Chloé turned him down, he would get over her and move on with his life. She wished that he wouldn't get hurt, but Luka was stubborn, and if this is the only way she could get through to him, then so be it.

* * *

Adrien rested against the raised concrete platform, two cups of coffee in hand. Maybe buying her caffeine was a little overboard, but in the grand scheme of things, it was how he was showing he was thankful for their friendship. Besides, the gesture would soften her up for his real motive, his second chance to ask her to go together to the party.

He had a chance, right?

She was flirting with him in their text message session yesterday, right?

Adrien sighed. He had long accepted the fact: girls were so confusing.

His eyes darted over to his phone for a time check. Just the thought that Marinette would be out of class any second and be with him caused his heart rate to pick up. When he was around her, something changed. He stuttered sometimes or blurted out responses, not to mention, blushed entirely too often for his tastes. Somewhere in the span of a month, he had fallen hard for Marinette.

"Adrien!" Marinette gained his attention from across the quad wearing a thousand-watt smile.

"What's got you in such a good mood?" She flopped down beside him, nudging his shoulder in the process.

"You're looking at the only person who scored"- she turned the paper around to show him. "An "A" on the test last week." Her smile widened. "And it's all thanks to you and your help."

Adrien tried to calm himself. In retrospect, he hadn't done all that much; he gave her a couple of pointers for keeping formulas straight. They hadn't even planned to study together, but when they ran into each other in the library, it seemed like a no-brainer.

"I only taught you tricks for memorization," he replied. "You're smart enough to get that "A" all on your own."

"Not in M. Fowler's class," she snorted.

"Don't sell yourself short." He bumped her shoulder playfully. "You are plenty smart." If spending time with her taught him one thing, it was how amazing she was. He had never met someone who made him feel like he could do anything, so open and free. Marinette Dupain-Cheng was his breath of fresh air among a life of expectations and rules.

Adrien managed to glance over just in time to see a blush forming on her cheeks. Had he said something to embarrass her?

Marinette brushed the hair behind her ear, eyes peeled to the ground. He had to do something; then he remembered the coffee in hand.

"Oh, I got this for you." He blurted out as he extended his arm towards her.

He watched as one of her eyes flickered to the coffee before accepting it.

"You really didn't have to," Marinette marveled, gripping the cup tighter. Her cheeks returned to normal, and it made Adrien almost miss the extra color.

"It was no trouble at all," he assured her. The second he realized he allowed his eyes to linger longer than necessary; he focused on his coffee lid.

"So how are those t-shirt sales going for the charity thing?" Adrien asked, taking a sip. They must have raised something; he had seen the shirts all over campus after a couple of consecutive shows mentioning them.

"Amazing," she beamed. "We can hardly keep up with requests. I was planning on taking a check to the animal shelter next week."

"Want some company? I've always had a soft spot for the kittens."

Marinette shrugged. "Sure, sounds like fun."

Another beat of silence passed by, only to be interrupted by Marinette's phone buzzing. She chuckled to herself, typed a response then put her phone in her pocket.

"Get this, Alya is going to start a blog to try and figure out who Chat Noir is."

_Wait. What? _

Adrien swallowed thickly hoping Marinette wouldn't notice his body's sudden shift in behavior. Despite a crisp autumn air, his body felt warm leading to tugging on his sweater. Was it hotter outside all of a sudden?

"Oh?" His pitch raised with the question. Adrien made a mental note to keep his distance from Alya while thanking the heavens that they haven't met.

"It's just the journalist in her. She's almost as much a fan of Chat Noir than you are."

"I'd like to see that," he countered playfully.

Marinette shifted her focus to on him, silence falling between them.

Adrien squirmed under her gaze. "What? Do I have something on my face?"

His question released whatever tension was in the air.

"She can be so off base sometimes," Marinette muttered.

"Who?" Adrien raises his coffee to his lips, taking a sip.

"I'm sorry," Marinette's face flushed with color. "Alya has this crazy theory that-that you're Chat."

Adrien's throat tensed mid-drink, sending him into a stuttering coughing fit.

"What?"

"I know," Marinette replied. "It's crazy, right? But don't worry, I told her that there is no way that you could be Chat."

Guilt panged through his heart. His mouth ran as dry as Paris on a hot day, and Adrien couldn't bring himself to look at her. He wanted to tell Marinette and knew she wouldn't tell a soul. She was the one to suggest the idea in the first place.

Adrien open his mouth -

"Marinette!"

Adrien looked over Marinette's shoulder from where the voice came from. A guy was running up to them, smile plastered on his face. Adrien couldn't put a finger on it, but his body tensed watching the two greet one another. The guy whispered something in her ear, Marinette blushed and backhanded his chest playfully.

He did hear her growl a "be nice" before she turned back toward him.

"Adrien, this is Luka. Luka, Adrien."

Luka held out his hand to shake, and Adrien obliged, even though his head was spinning. How did the two of them know each other? And why was Luka eyeing him with a mischievous smirk? Had he figured out in two seconds how he felt towards Marinette?

"So you're the one," Luka muttered loud enough for him to hear.

The one? What on earth did that mean? Unfortunately, he didn't get any more answer to his question.

"I'm going to have to steal her away for a second. I have some questions about the party tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Adrien parrotted, face draining of color.

"I invited him to the party," Marinette explained. "I hope that's ok?"

There goes any chance of asking her to the party.

"Of course." He tried to force a smile the best he could. "I don't know if I can go anymore, anyways. My dad called, and I have a photoshoot to go to." All lies, but not going to the party was better than seeing multiple hours of feeling like a third wheel to Luka and Marinette's behavior and inside jokes.

"Really?" Marinette's lips tucked into a pout. "I was looking forward to having to save you from Chloé."

Adrien didn't allow his heart to take any hope from her words. Obviously, there was something between Luka and Marinette. No point in causing himself further pain.

"Well, I'll let you all talk. I have someone I need to talk to. See you later." He said his goodbyes as fast as possible and headed towards the east side of campus.

Adrien found his head spinning. Plagg has made it sound like Marinette had been waiting around for him to ask her out. But if that was the case, why would she be inviting other guys to the party? For all he knew, Marinette could be pining over some other guy, and he was already friend-zoned without having a chance.

Plagg wouldn't have any useful information revolving this revelation, so his next best step would be to go to the source itself; Tikki.

The walk across campus wasn't much work, especially when Adrien was on a mission. Tikki should be in her room, Plagg had made an off-handed comment about her studying for a test. Out of courtesy, he wouldn't trouble her for too long. If he didn't get his answers, his mind would dwell over the question all day.

Adrien knocked once, and the door swung open. True to form, Tikki was sitting at her desk; textbook sprawled out in front of her. He smiled to himself, such determination, some things never change.

She didn't look up from her books."I told you, I can't cuddle right now. I have a test I have to study for, maybe later."

Adrien couldn't help but be amused by the knowledge that Plagg was the one who wanted to cuddle. He'll definitely wouldn't let him forget it easily next time Adrien saw him.

"Alright, but I think your boyfriend would have issues with that," he quipped with a cracked smile. It was added entertainment the way Tikki jumped in her seat when she realized her mistake and turned to face him.

"Oh! Adrien, I didn't mean..." Her cheeks fluttered with color.

He winked at her, teasingly, "It's ok; it will be our secret."

They had been friends for years, and now he couldn't imagine a life without her as one of his good friends. It was a given, where Plagg went, she would follow. Adrien was grateful that they came as a packaged pair.

"What can I help you with?"

"Did you send Plagg to set me up with a girl?"

Tikki's body tensed, answering his question. He wished she would have checked her facts before asking him. It would have saved himself some grief from getting his hopes up.

"Adrien, I can explain." She bolted up from her chair. "Marinette is amazing, and I just thought you two would hit it off"-

"You don't have to tell me twice," Adrien sighed, flopping himself at the edge of her bed.

"You know her?" Tikki's eyes were wide in surprise.

"We met a couple of weeks ago in the library." He sighed to himself before falling into his back.

"Adrien," she sang his name, playfully. "Do you like Marinette?"

He groaned, and his hands flew to cover any color that was sure to make its way to his face.

"You do!" Tikki exclaimed. "This is great, you can ask her out and then"-

"Except, I can't." The exasperated words tumbled out of his mouth through his hands.

Tikki cocked an eyebrow. "And why not, Agreste?"

He winced. She only called him by his last name when she started to become annoyed. It wasn't his fault that Marinette agreed and turned him down at the same time. What does that even mean in girl-speak? They would always be confusing to him. Case in point, Tikki becoming upset when he did nothing wrong.

"Because she doesn't like me like that."

Two sharp jabs bore into his arm. "And how do you know that?" Plagg must have done something to irritate her earlier; usually, she didn't get this upset over a small matter.

"Because I already asked her." Adrien shot up from his position to get away from her poking. "To the party tomorrow. She thought I was inviting her as part of a group." Adrien gathered the courage to glance over at Tikki.

" _How _did you ask her?"

"I don't know." Was there a proper way to ask someone out? He had girls throwing themselves at him, that was part of being a model. But this was possibly the first girl he felt this way towards. "But it doesn't matter," Adrien sighed. "I told her I couldn't go."

A paper ball struck his arm. Where would the abuse end? What he wanted was pity and understanding from his friend.

"Why did you do that?"

"What should I've done after she invited another guy? I don't want to watch her pine over Luka the whole night."

The last thing Adrien expected was Tikki to burst out in laughter. His lips sunk into a frown.

"What's so funny?" His lip curled between his teeth to fight his embarrassment.

"Marinette doesn't like Luka."

_What?!_

"Are you sure?" Adrien's words clung to his heart. It was hard to think of anything but how fast his pulse was racing.

"Luka is her childhood friend. I'm sure she just invited him to make her feel more comfortable."

That made rational sense against his mixed emotions and eased his anxiety, for all of a second.

"But what am I going to do now? I told her I wasn't going."

"I think it's kinda obvious. You can either suck it up and tell her your plans changed or you don't go, and spend the whole night wishing you were there."

He could go back to her, although she was bound to ask questions. Another option is just to show up at the party, but then there was the Chloé thing to consider. If only he could go as someone else...

Adrien's gaze drifted over to a black jacket that was thrown over a chair in the corner.

"You're right," he muttered loud enough for her to hear. Maybe he couldn't go as Adrien, but no one said that Chat couldn't attend. If anything, it would give him a chance to see how she felt about him.

"Thanks, Tikki. You're the best." Adrien dashed out of the room, not giving her any more context, and ignored her calling out his name.

* * *

"Can I just say that I'm purretty sure that today lasted as long as two. There was only a couple of times that I wasn't staring at the clock." If Adrien was honest, the two times were when he was hanging out with Marinette before Luka showed up and when he was in Physics class.

The show had run well enough tonight, but Adrien found himself distracted. Tikki's words had bounced around his mind nonstop to the point he almost felt silly for being so jealous. Marinette's history with Luka would explain why she was so comfortable around him.

Could he have a chance with her? Would that be possible?

"Well maybe if you changed your major you wouldn't be looking at math textbooks all day." Nino interrupted his thoughts.

"Hey, Carapace." Adrien threw a stress ball at him. Nino held up his hands in defense but accepted the blow.

"Don't judge me because I'm beautiful," the blond teased.

"Trust me; I'm not the least bit jealous of math textbooks. I have other things that hold way more value in my life."

Adrien stuck his tongue out. "It's not my fault that you and math have a complicated relationship."

"That's fine because I'm perfectly happy with my music. But before Chat starts boring you with some equations, here are some tunes to help you get through your Thursday blues." Upbeat music blasted the airwaves, and Nino flashed Plagg and Adrien a smile.

Nino threw back the paper ball back at the blond, which started an all-out war for the remaining three minutes of the song.

"I know that song helped my mood," Adrien opened. "But what I'm looking forward to is Michelle's party tomorrow. Way to welcome in the new school year. I know I'll be"-

"Here working to keep your Friday amazing, just like this song I know you'll enjoy!" Carapace cut in abruptly before switching into another song.

"What did you do that for Nino?" Adrien was pleased that Nino was more proactive on air, but he had never really cut him off mid-idea before; especially with a fuming expression plastered on his face.

"I was saving you from making the biggest mistake of your life. Dude, think about it. You're going to stick out like a sore thumb. Someone is going to find you out, and this will all be over."

"He's right, Adrien," Plagg added.

"I have it all figured out. If multiple people wear the same thing, no one will be the wiser." How could they be against this? He just wanted to go to the party, is that so wrong? "You won't change my mind. I'm going as Chat Noir; we'll air a pre-recorded show. But I won't tell my listeners. Is that enough of a compromise?"

"I hope you know what you're doing, dude." Nino leaned back in his chair, face hardening.

He still wasn't happy, but Adrien had appeased him enough not to interrupt him again once the song faded.

"I think it's time to take some callers, what's your favorite way to spend your weekend. Let me know!" The switchboard started up to lit up with callers, and Adrien couldn't help but smile to himself. This radio station was reaching people, giving people a voice. It was exactly what he wanted.

* * *

**A.n. Hope you enjoyed it. I just wanted to let you know that I might not update next weekend. It's my birthday this weekend and I'll be celebrating this next week. It will depend on how inspired I am ( which comes from my muses that thrive on your feedback ) But I do have a couple of long over-due one shots that I need to post/work on. If I can get those done and a little of my buffer back for this story, then I'll update. But as someone who updates weekly, just wanted to let you all know.**


	6. Chapter 6 Last Friday Night

**A.n.- Can I apologize for being the worst updater on here. But it means you get a bunch of chapters with little wait time. :) I'll be uploading four chapters over the next couple days.**

* * *

They arrived when the party was in full swing. Marinette hovered closer to her friends, grateful that they decided to come with her. She would be lost otherwise. There was a reason she didn't really like going to parties: every single one she had gone to she would get lost either on the dance floor or through the halls and lose anyone familiar. Then, like clockwork, she would get hit on by a guy having to prove how manly he was to his friends. He wouldn't have the slightest interest in her, but be counting down the minutes till he could make a move to kiss her.

That wouldn't happen this time. There were enough people in their little group that she would be fine. Even if Alya and Nino ran to a corner to make out, Luka wouldn't leave her alone.

Marinette clutched the edges of her black jacket covering her Jagged Stone shirt. She was so casual compared to some of the girls in attendance. Maybe she should have listened to Alya and changed.

"Are you ok?"

She nearly jumped at Luka's question and the hand placement on her shoulder blades.

Marinette nodded but kept her mouth shut. She kind of wished that Adrien didn't have his photoshoot. He was the one person she had been counting on to keep her company. Luka would eventually go and talk to Chloé - otherwise, any advice she gave him on the matter yesterday would prove pointless.

"I'm going to grab us some drinks. You want anything, Marinette?"

"I'm good," she replied, raising the bottle of water she had brought with her.

Alya shrugged, grabbed Nino's hand and began to weave her way through the crowd. Marinette would bet anything that they wouldn't be back for a solid ten minutes.

"I just wanted to say thank you." Luka broke the silence between them. "For talking to Chloé. I really appreciate it."

Marinette forced her lips up into a smile. "What are friends for?" While Luka was pining after Choe, he would never think of her like that. Marinette was grateful that they could keep their friendship if nothing else.

Luka's head turned as Chloé's voice rose over the mini crowd that swarmed her.

"Will you be ok for a second? I'll be right back."

Marinette opened her mouth to protest, but the knowledge that she wouldn't be able to stop him caused her to stay silent. Every second he stayed, he would be thinking of her roommate — not the company she wanted.

"I'll be fine," she reassured. And just like that, Luka was off.

Marinette sat down on the steps alone. How did she keep getting into these situations?

* * *

Adrien used the nearby wall as support as he surveyed the room. Most of the parties he had been to were because of work and networking alike. He didn't have to take more than two seconds to see that tonight was nothing like those. The smell of alcohol filled his nostrils all the while the pre-recorded session of Carapace's music filled the air. People crowding next to the blaring speakers jumped and danced along to the beat. It was hard to ignore the couples lounging around on the couches or in nooks, making out to their heart's content. Adrien regretted coming separate from the group and wished he had Marinette to keep him company. His phone in his pocket buzzed, and the second he saw who the text was from, his heart soared inside his chest.

**Marinette** : **Choose: a stuffy photo shoot with your dad or sitting at a party all alone. **

Adrien smiled down at his phone. She was thinking of him. Although her situation wasn't ideal, Marinette could have reached out to anyone, but she texted him.

He quickly replied, **Alone? What happened to everyone else? **

Didn't she come with Nino, Alya, and Luka?

**Marinette: Alya and Nino slipped to a corner to make out, and Luka's focus is...elsewhere. **

He would have to have a talk with Luka later. Adrien didn't trust half the guys at this party alone with Marinette. For now, he could use the texts as a distraction until he found her.

**You wouldn't want to be here with me anyway. The photographer is in a mood. **

Which technically wasn't a lie. Victor often got upset, depending on the model he was shooting.

**Marinette: I wish you were here to keep me company. **

It took everything in him not to text back that he was already there. He had told Nino and Plagg that he was attending the party as Chat Noir. He couldn't very well turn around and be Adrien in front of Marinette only. He had to be careful; otherwise, his cover would be blown, and with Alya here, anonymity was extra crucial.

**Hopefully, your luck will change soon. **

"Adrien Agreste, why in the world are you telling Marinette that you're at a fashion shoot when you're here?" Tikki did a double-take. "And why are you in that ridiculous getup?"

Adrien pulled back his jacket back and inspected his outfit. He hadn't thought it was too bad, minus the sunglasses he was wearing inside. But it was the only thing he could think of that would slightly block his face; much better than wearing a black mask from an old Halloween costume, which was his only other option.

"Because…" Adrien stopped himself short of an answer. He wasn't expecting Tikki to recognize him right away, let alone question him on the matter. Revealing himself might be the only way out of more questions. Adrien trusted Tikki; surely she wouldn't out him.

"Because I'm not Adrien tonight." This is the first person he'd told that hadn't known before. His hands fidgeted uneasily by his side. There was no need to be nervous; this was Tikki after all.

"I'm Chat Noir." There. He said it. The truth was out in the open.

"What?" Tikki asked with a laugh. "No, you're not."

"Tikki.."

Her laughter faded. "You're...not kidding." Her face morphed into one of shock. "But how?"

"I'll explain later," he promised. That conversation would be best with no prying ears.

"Fine, but you won't get out of it." She grabbed his arm and started dragging him across the room.

Adrien didn't know what to think. Hadn't he told her they would discuss this later? Why was taking him elsewhere? He had to find Marinette. Once they reached the doorway, everything clicked. There was Marinette.

"She won't budge from that spot. I've tried for the last twenty minutes. So, maybe Adrien or Chat Noir can talk her into having a good time. She needs you."

Adrien didn't know what, but something about Tikki's statement spurred him to action. He wanted to be the one to help her, even though he was well aware that she didn't need him. The text messages he'd received meant that, at a bare minimum, she wanted company; someone to talk to. For that, he would volunteer any day.

"Thanks, Tikki."

* * *

"And where were you?" Plagg asked, grabbing Tikki's waist. Drawing her close, he placed a kiss on her cheek. "I looked for you everywhere."

"I was with an old friend of ours." She leaned her back against him and angled her head to fit between his ear and his neck. "I do wonder if the cat ears were your idea or Chat's."

"Tikki, I can explain."

She grabbed his hands before he could remove them from her sides. "You don't have to, but it does explain all the time where you suddenly had to leave with nothing but lame excuses." She had assumed that Plagg and Adrien were spending quality guy time together, but as the weeks went on, the excuses started to unravel. As it turns out, she was correct: they were spending time together - just not on normal activities.

"Doing the radio show was Adrien's idea."

Tikki nuzzled his neck with her nose. "Of that, I have no doubt. The whole thing sounds right up Adrien's alley; I'm just kicking myself because I didn't realize it sooner. I should have figured it out long before tonight." She should have realized Chat Noir's voice was similar. Even with a voice pitch, she'd had enough conversations to know his habits.

"I wanted to tell you."

Tikki placed her finger on his lip to silence him, "I understand why you didn't. You were following Adrien's wishes, were you not?" she asked, eyebrow cocked.

"Yeah." Plagg's gaze shifted to the ground.

Tikki's features softened as she used her finger under his chin to regain his attention. "Then don't worry about it for another second." She drew him closer until she silenced him with a reassuring kiss. She rested in the blanket of her boyfriend and the bliss between them and found herself slightly disappointed when Plagg pulled back.

"Let's dance."

Tikki laughed. "To this music?" She motioned to the air.

Plagg grabbed her hand and twirled her into a slow dance position. "Yes. Why not?"

She didn't have a retort not to dance - besides the fact that it didn't match the music, but that never stopped them before. Tikki's head found its resting place on his shoulder, giving into the hypnotic sway her boyfriend had started.

"And where did Adrien run off to?" Plagg interrupted the peacefulness with the question, but given how close the boys were, that was to be expected.

"I believe there's a certain girl he had his eye on." Understatement as that maybe, her answer appeased him. Once he promised her to tell him everything, her mind went full force trying to connect the two. If Marinette and Adrien hit things off, that was all the better. Plagg's movements slowed as the realization hit him.

"You cunning little minx." He smirked.

Tikki shrugged, proud of her accomplishment. Those two had been dancing around each other for the past month. Who could blame her? "But you love me." Her hands slid around his neck, clasping behind him.

"Without a doubt," he answered, lowering his lips to hers once more.

* * *

Luka wished he had more of a plan. Instead, he felt more like a zebra venturing way too close to a lion's den. Despite Marinette's reassurance, he felt unprepared. This was different from the casual run-in at the coffee shop. Her friends surrounded her, leaving very little room for subtle. If he wanted to speak to Chloé, he would have to face her head-on.

His palms began to sweat, and he swallowed thickly. He couldn't understand. He rarely got stage fright, and yet he was nervous talking to a girl - but, in his defense, Chloé wasn't ordinary.

"What are you doing here?" A voice, who he assumed was Sabrina, emerged from the Chloé's entourage. Luka's mind raced. How could she recognize him when they had never met before?

"I"- What was he supposed to say again?

"Luka." This time Chloé spoke, much softer than her friend.

"Haven't you done enough damage?" Sabrina stepped in front of her friend, presumably to protect her. "You broke Chloé's heart. I'm surprised you have the gull to step foot at this party."

Surely he hadn't heard correctly: he had broken _her _heart? How did they have separate recollections of the same event? Because he remembered he showed up at her home and pleaded with Mme. Bourgeois to see Chloé. After the second time, she threatened to call the authorities if he stepped foot on their property again. All of his texts had gone unanswered, so he had accepted the new reality and tried to move on.

And yet, her friends seem to be under the impression that he was the one to blame.

"You're nothing, but a lying, low-life, piece of trash musi"-

"Enough, Sabrina!" Chloé snapped at the girl beside her.

The redhead's words stung. If that's genuinely what his ex thought about him, then he understood. But if that was the case, then why did Chloé stop her?

"You."

Luka felt his breath catch when Chloé pointed in his direction.

"Come with me."

She grabbed his hand, and he followed willingly; not necessarily looking forward to getting yelled at. But there were too many things that didn't add up.

Chloé pulled him into a nearby unoccupied room and closed the door.

"What's going on, Chlo?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"I could ask you the same thing." She snapped in response. "If I remember correctly, you prefer coffee shops to parties like this."

"It depends on the company, wouldn't you say?"

"Stop doing that."

"Doing what?"

"I don't know, " she sputtered. "Looking at me like that."

"As you wish." Luka closed his eyes, a smug smile tugging at his lips. If Chloé wanted to leave, she would have done so by now. She would have yelled, maybe slapped him, and stormed out in her dramatic fashion. Something about this was different; the air in the room grew thicker.

"Chlo." Luka paused, mainly to get control over himself. "Why did Sabrina say I broke your heart?"

"Because you did. Is that what you want to hear?"

"You're the one who broke up with me. You said it would be better if we went our separate ways." Luka opened his eyes. If they were going to talk about this, he needed to see her. To face her. "I accepted that for a couple of days. But then I was fooling around on my guitar, and all I could think of was you. I knew at that moment I would try to win you back."

* * *

Adrien didn't know his palms could sweat so fast. The second Tikki returned to her boyfriend; his nerves got the better of him. He found he couldn't tear his eyes away from Marinette until her blue eyes locked on his. Darting his gaze away was the only way to save face.

Except, it was apparent he was staring, and he was sure she knew it.

Nothing to do but bite the bullet and approach her.

Once he reached the bottom of the stairs, Marinette didn't let him get the first word out.

"Let me make this easy. I'm not going anywhere with you. If you're looking for a hookup, keep walking."

Adrien's mouth grew dry. The one bright side was that she didn't recognize him, but he couldn't help but wonder how many guys approach before he got here. He held up his hands in surrender.

"I just thought you looked like you could use some cheering up. No funny business - promise."

Marinette's shoulders slumped as she quickly checked her phone, no doubt to see if there were any new messages from Adrien.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"Don't like parties, huh?" Adrien asked as he sat down next to her on the stairs. They hadn't gotten off to the best start based upon her behavior and her constant need to be checking her phone. He knew that she had texted Adrien moments before he had talked to her, but he couldn't very well answer her text right in front of her.

"I'm not a party person," she finally admitted, not that this was new information to Adrien. She had told him before.

"Me either," he confessed. Truth be told, his father had made him attend one too many parties for the company. He had mainly wanted to come tonight to hang out with Marinette in the first place, not for what kind of booze they could offer. Chat Noir gave him that chance.

Marinette rolled her eyes. "And why is that?"

"Because everyone is putting on a front."

"Says the guy wearing sunglasses inside at night," she shot back playfully. "What? Are you hiding from someone?"

"You can say that?" He mumbled. If it wasn't for Chloé wandering around, he could be Adrien right now instead. "There's this girl, and she can't take a hint that I'm not interested."

Marinette playfully smirked. "Oh, so instead you put me in the line of fire. No doubt, she will see us together and make assumptions."

"She has nothing on you. Trust me; you could take her."

"And how do you know that?" Marinette retorted. "We just met."

Panic started to bubble inside, so he spit out the first thing he could think of. "You just _look_ like you could move."

Adrien's eyes widened in the realization of what he said. By the shock plastered on Marinette's face, he only seconds before she labeled him a creep and got as far away as possible.

"What?"

All he could do was flounder in the nerves built up in his stomach. "I didn't mean any offense. I just thought you could handle yourself."

Marinette burst out laughing, the sound making his heart do flips inside his chest. The real question was: was she laughing at him?

"I'll tell you what: if you get me another sealed bottle of water, then I might consider that payment to protect you from whoever this girl is."

Adrien could barely contain his excitement as "deal," spilled from his mouth.

* * *

"Win me back," Chloe whispered, mostly to herself.

Luka's lips dipped into a small frown. By the way she was acting, it was almost as if she didn't know he came to visit multiple times. Only Madame Bourgeois could be blamed if she didn't pass along the message. It wouldn't surprise him if she had something to do with Chloe not answering any of his messages.

He tentatively reached out his fingers, pushing them gently through the golden strands framing her face. "You didn't think I could forget you, did you?"

Her brilliant blue eyes searched his, and Luka swore he could drown in them in a split second. His fingers itched to slide through her blonde hair, but before he had the chance, Chloé grabbed both sides of his jacket, and, jerking his body close, claimed his lips in the process. Luka used one of his free hands to steady himself and the other to cup her cheek.

Her kisses were hard and needy, begging for him to match her pace. It would seem Chloé reciprocated how he felt.

When they met over the summer, something clicked. Sure, at first he did things just to annoy her, but over time, his behavior grew flirtatious. Chloé had been the one to make the first move back then; just as she was the one to pull him in now.

The two fell in sync, the time revolving around their separation melting away.

"Luka," she moaned between kisses, spurring him to continue.

His mouth gravitated towards her neck, making use of any exposed skin. He didn't want to admit how much he missed her over the last couple of months. Seeing her in the coffee shop at school haunted him.

The voice of reason snuck past his hazy thoughts, sounding an internal alarm.

"Wait," he breathed against her, pulling himself away from the crook of her neck. "Should we be doing this?" As much as he wanted to, he would hate to do anything if Chloé wasn't one hundred percent sure. They both experienced high emotions at the end of the summer, and jumping in head first once more didn't seem like the brightest move. The smart move would be to take things slow.

In response, Chloé maneuvered them so Luka was the one against the wall.

"Trust me, Couffaine," she purred. "If I wanted to leave, I would have a long time ago."

Chloé raised one of her shoulders, allowing her yellow cardigan to slip down her shoulder.

"But I don't think you want to stop."

Chloé looked up at him through her thick lashes and didn't flinch when the sweater hit the floor.

Luka swallowed hard.

"So either find a good use of the pretty mouth of yours, or you can lea-"

Luka didn't let her ask twice.


	7. Chapter 7 Flashlight

**A.n.- Part part 2. Enjoy!**

* * *

Adrien took his time at the drink table, staring at the water bottle in his hand. How uncool could one person be? He had this planned out for the last couple days: he was going to go in all smooth and suave. Instead, he tripped over his words and lost his train of thought. There couldn't possibly be a way to salvage the evening.

"So, how's it going, loverboy?"

Adrien sighed in response, knowing it conveyed his hopeless more than words ever could. "I don't know where I'm going wrong. I'm fine until I look into her eyes, then my tongue turns to mush."

"You don't have to remind me about your crush," Plagg teased. "It's written all over your face."

"My feelings for Marinette are insignificant if I can't even talk to her."

Plagg chuckled. "You're thinking about this way too hard. She's friends with Adrien, right? Be yourself. You're Chat Noir last time I checked. Just picture yourself in the booth, and you're talking to her."

"You think that will work?" Adrien asked. He never thought about it that way. When he was in the studio, he did often tune out the world and focused on what he wanted to say to his listeners. He knew that Marinette was one of them. "Thanks, Plagg. I'm lucky to have a friend like you."

"Don't you forget it." Plagg shot back with a smile.

* * *

"Dance with me!" Alya grabbed Nino's hand and dragged him onto the dance floor. Nino was hardly one to complain. He hadn't been able to take his eyes off Alya since they arrived. For a first date, the party was the perfect opportunity to get to know each other in a low key setting compared to a one-on-one date. The downside was that he had to share her. Nino was shocked that Alya knew so many people, but he loved watching her flutter around from person to person; no doubt gaining information or new contacts wherever she went. He knew that she wanted to become a renowned journalist, and seeing her in action was a treat.

"I don't really dance," he confessed as they reach the middle of the dance floor.

"It's easy." Her body began to sway to the song. "You just feel the beat."

Alya made it sound so simple, probably because she was a natural. He, on the other hand - let's say there was a reason he chose to mix music.

"Nino," she laughed. "You're thinking too hard about it." She put her hands on his hips. "Like this."

It was impossible to focus on much else, but after a couple of guided movements, he started to loosen up.

"I knew you could do it, Turtle boy."

Nino's chest filled with warmth at the nickname, although, he wondered if she secretly knew about his hobby. She hadn't said anything on the matter, and he wasn't going to bring it up if he didn't have to. There was a secret identity to keep after all.

"Well, I have such a good teacher."

"My, my, someone is layering on the compliments."

Nino took a chance and spun her. By the half-smile she gave him, Alya almost seemed impressed. "Well, I have to if we are to have a coffee date next week."

"Well, how about this. Coffee. Next Thursday. 10 am."

Nino breathed a sigh of relief, thankful she picked a time not conflicting with a scheduled show. Adrien would have killed him otherwise. And, if he were honest, the show meant a lot to him, too. He rather enjoyed going on as Carapace and goofing around with Chat. Not to mention his mixes were gaining attention.

His time together with Alya proved he could have one foot in both worlds and still have it all.

"It's a date." He grinned.

* * *

Adrien, with two drinks in hands and newfound confidence thanks to Plagg's pep talk, started to make his return to Marinette. He inwardly prayed he hadn't scared her off and she would be waiting for him on the steps.

When he rounded the corner, his feet came to a halt. Marinette was indeed still on the steps, but far from alone. From the look of her body language, she didn't enjoy the company.

_Keep a level-head, Agreste. _

The quickest way to end the party would be to slug the guy in the face. Over the past couple of weeks, he had seen the quarterback with multiple girls, and he refused to allow Marinette to become one of them.

He marched up to them and felt Marinette's eyes shift him. Her body relaxed the second she saw him, and that gave Adrien hope that he hadn't completed screwed things up after all.

"Is there a problem here?" There was no reason to barge in with no plan. Adrien set one bottle down on a table at the base of the stairs.

"Kim, here," Marinette gestured toward the quarterback, "decided on keeping me company until you returned with our drinks. He assured me there would be hours of stimulating activity and conversation." The sarcasm rolled off her tongue with the last line.

"How thoughtful, but I assure you, Marinette is in good hands. I fear that she'd much rather spend her evening with me than your pathetic attempts to woo her." Adrien held out his hand, hoping that she understood what he meant to get her away from there. Thankfully, she placed her hand in his.

He guided her down a couple of steps before his other wrist got caught in Kim's grip.

"Do you know who you're talking to? Who do you think you are?"

Adrien cracked a smile. "That's easy; I'm Chat Noir." With a single motion, he broke the hold and sent Kim to land on the staircase. Pulling Marinette, he maneuvered through the crowd to put as much distance from Kim as possible.

The group dancing provided perfect coverage, but due to the small amount of space, their bodies were wedged together. Adrien started to jump with everyone, but Marinette grabbed his leather jacket.

"You're Chat Noir?"

He watched her do a double-take. "You can't be."

"Why?" He flashed his toothy grin. "Not what you expected?"

Adrien watched the light pink color spread across her cheeks, matching the coordinating lights. Blushing was a good sign, right?

"Well, no, but how can you be here and the studio at the same time?"

"A little magic called a pre-recorded show." He smirked. "Cats do like to go out and play, you know."

"That doesn't prove anything," she countered. "You could have figured that out by the lack of call-ins."

Marinette was smart; it would only make sense that she would question a random stranger who announced he was Chat Noir.

"I'll prove it." He crossed his arms over his chest. The sooner they sorted this out, the quicker they could blend into the crowd and hide from Kim. "After this song finishes, Carapace is going to come on and say he's going to keep the music pumping with one of his favorite mixes of all time."

True to form, everything came to pass just as Adrien expected them to.

"You're Chat Noir," Marinette repeated, this time her voice was filled with awe.

Adrien lifted her hand. "At your service, Milady." He kissed the back of her hand. "But if we want to keep Kim away, I suggest we start dancing."

The next few songs flew by in a blur. Adrien could remember exchanged smiles, blushes, and laughter.

"I have to admit," Marinette leaned in to shout over the music, "I never thought I would have this much fun."

Adrien searched her eyes, trying to form some response. The moment didn't last long as someone knocked into Adrien and sent him barreling in the direction of Marinette. There wasn't much he could do, and he hoped that the collision wouldn't send them flying to the ground.

Marinette caught him, and no damage was done, minus an awkward unexpected tight embrace.

"Sorry." He pulled away as quickly as possible.

Marinette giggled, relieving some of his anxiety. "It's ok. It wasn't your fault." He watched her eyes lift up to his hair.

"Your ears," she mumbled. "They're crooked."

Marinette's fingers slipped into his hair to correct the problem. Adrien's eyes drooped closed, relishing the feeling. He may have enjoyed her running her fingers through his hair a little too much.

"It's weird. You feel very familiar to me. Like"-

Pulse racing, his throat ran dry. Was this it? She was about to figure out his secret identity because he wasn't careful.

At the edge of the crowd, Kim suddenly came into view looking very unpleasant.

"Kim," he breathed out.

Marinette recoiled. "Kim?"

"What? No." He shook his head and subtly pointed. "We have to go. He's right over there." Adrien grabbed her hand and hurried back through the crowd. A nearby closet proved the best place, even if it's just for a minute to hide.

"Chat? What?"

"Just for a couple of minutes until we know it's safe." He was glad that the light was out. It gave him the cover that he needed. Marinette was close to putting the pieces together, but after the night he had, Adrien wasn't sure he could handle it.

Marinette ventured deeper into the closet while Adrien waited by the cracked door.

"Chat, why did you pick me?" Marinette asked from behind him. "You could have kept anyone else here company all night, but you picked me."

"Don't be so modest. I've heard my fair share about you. A little birdie told me it was your idea to have the donations of the t-shirts sales to the animal shelter."

Something hit the floor with a thump. Being dark, Adrien could only pray that it was something Marinette was holding and not her.

"You heard about that?"

Well, that solved one question. Adrien fought the urge to chuckle.

"Of course, I did." And, even if he hadn't known Marinette, he was confident that the news would eventually have reached him in one way or another. But they needed to get going before she questioned who his source was.

"I think it's safe."

He held out his hand again, and she grabbed it without hesitation. They slipped out of hiding, but Adrien was sure there would be rumors and hoped the damage would be reversible in the morning.

The two headed for the drink table since he had abandoned the drinks when he initially rescued her from Kim.

Chloé appeared out of the corner of his eye, and he froze. Would she recognize him? He had known Chloé longer than Marinette, but Tikki saw right through his disguise the first time she saw him.

"Wait."

The next thing he knew, he was yanked back and twisted to the point where Marinette was trapped between him and the wall.

"What is it?" He would get it if he were Adrien. Marinette promised that she would hide him during the party. But Marinette didn't know his secret.

"I just-" Her words stopped and her face flushed with color once more. "Stay like this, please. I rather my roommate does not see me right now."

She was hiding from Chloé? Why? Not that he had any reason to move. He rathered liked being this close to her.

"Of course," he answered. How could she look so pretty in a simple Jagged Stone t-shirt? Although it was extra points for coolness in his book. He reached out to tuck her dark hair back into place.

_You have no idea how much I want to kiss you_.

"What?"

Had he said that last bit _out loud? _By her shocked and colorful face, he would wager anything that he had.

His mouth dropped as his mind dashed through all possible comebacks from that. Why couldn't he just be more like Chat? Either way, Adrien supposed he was doomed. He had started falling for her the moment he had seen her, and it'd been a slippery slope ever since.

"You can you know."

He barely heard her response, and for a second he thought he'd made it up in his mind.

"Could...what?" His mind was well beyond frantic, and he couldn't piece together a full sentence. His eyes betrayed him, dropping down to the source of the temptation before returning to her captivating gaze.

"Kiss...me." Her voice wavered, which brought some relief to know she was just as nervous as he was.

At her words, he became a slave to gravity and slowly started to lean in. Was this really happening?

Marinette was leaning in too, her eyes fluttering closed.

"Marinette!"

Alya's voice caused the two to jump apart, the moment lost.

"Alya, what are you doing here?" She asked. "And where's Nino?"

Right on cue, he appeared: "Right here." He mouthed a "sorry" to them.

Adrien stiffened when their eyes locked. This was one of his nightmares. Alya had been trying to sniff him out, and drifting a little too close for comfort. If she outed him here, he wasn't sure he could recover.

"I hate to ask, but Alya needs to go back to the girl's dorm, and we can't find Tikki anywhere."

Marinette looked from her friend to him, and Adrien could see the wheels turning.

"You should go," he gently pushed. "Your friend needs you." Not that he doubted she would come to any other conclusion. Marinette cared about every single one of her friends.

"I'm sorry." Marinette jumped into action, slipping under Alya's arm for support.

She took one last peek at him before exiting the house.

Although slightly disappointed, Adrien found his heart could only soar.

* * *

"Woah, take it easy there," Marinette tightened her grip on Alya as they stepped off the security golf cart. She couldn't help but wonder just how many shots the girl had. She'll leave a note for Tikki to get a hangover cure in the morning. Otherwise, Alya would be nursing quite the headache.

She had to give points to Nino for finding her though. From what she had seen of the two interacting, the chemistry oozed off them. If not for her evening with Chat Noir, she may have been jealous.

"You're so pretty," Alya mused out loud, running her fingers through Marinette's hair. "I'm so glad we're friends."

Marinette took the opportunity to slip the key card out of Alya's bag and opened the door.

"One step at a time." She had never been more thankful that Tikki and Alya only lived on the second floor of the dorms. "That's it."

The least she could do was make her comfortable in bed. Marinette pulled back the comforter and helped Alya inside.

"I'm sorry, Mari," Alya groaned, sinking into the comfy mattress. "I ruined your time with Adrien."

Adrien? She wasn't with Adrien. But trying to convince her of that fact would be pointless now. She would be surprised if Alya remembered much of tonight by the time she woke up in the morning.

"He likes you, you know," she mumbled, flipping over and hugging the pillow tightly. "I could see it in his eyes."

Marinette brought up the blanket just under her chin, wrote a note for Tikki, and started in the direction of her dorm. She doubted that Chloe would be back yet. The party was still in full swing when she left.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, and the sight of a text instantly brought a smile.

**Adrien: How did your luck turn out?**

He must have an intuition about these kinds of things, or the world's best timing - she wouldn't be surprised by either.

**Much better than I expected. Dare I say I had fun. **

Another buzz.

**Adrien: Who are you and what have you done with Marinette?**

She couldn't help but wonder how his photo shoot went. She at least had a knight in cat ears to help improve her mood. She'd forgotten to text him back and left him at the mercy of the photographer.

**Someone came to my rescue and made the night suck less** .

Even though Adrien was a fan of Chat Noir, she didn't want to rub it in his face that she met him. He was already down that he couldn't make it in the first place. Before he could ask who, she typed out another message.

**How was your photoshoot**

He replied quickly with little hesitation.

**Adrien: It was fine. I wish I could have been there.**

Marinette quickly typed out a response.

**Me too. **

She tucked the phone back into her purse and continued her short walk - but not before plugging in her headphones so music could keep her company.

* * *

Adrien jumped into the chair and rolled until he met the table with the equipment. The only way tonight could have been better was if his time with Marinette hadn't been cut short. Once his nerves vanished, and he took Plagg's advice, everything else had faded beside her and him. She'd opened up to Chat about things that she never had with Adrien, and it gave him the sense that they had become even closer than before, even if he was the only one who knew it.

Although, not the brightest idea, Adrien knew he had to tell the world even a fraction of the joy he was feeling. He pressed a few buttons until the red recording light switched on. It was outside the normal airing time, so most of his listeners wouldn't necessarily hear him, but he would still get everything needed off his chest.

"I don't know if anyone is listening..." his voice faded out as he regained his thoughts, "but you ever have such a wonderful experience that you just had to share? I had one tonight. I went to a party tonight, and I-" Adrien wished that his listeners could understand everything he was feeling. "I met someone - a girl. She's amazing."

And yet that word didn't do her justice, but his mind couldn't think of a better descriptor at the moment.

"She lit up the room with every single laugh or smile. I could have talked for hours with her and never be bored. I"- His mouth closed and his lips spread to a warm smile.

"I wished the night wouldn't end. I hope that you all will experience this once in your life. I'll be back for my normal time tomorrow. Until then: this is Chat Noir, signing off." Adrien flicked the switch to off. Plagg and Nino might not be too happy that he broadcasted, but it's not like anyone would have heard him. The pre-recorded broadcast ended at least thirty minutes ago and the party where the campus probably changed their music choice by now. He had the need to shout from the rooftops about his feelings for Marinette, but instead, the radio had been his medium. Adrien leaned back in his chair. Although unlikely, he hoped that Marinette heard him one way or another.

Marinette sunk further in her bed, the events of the evening launching her to cloud nine. She met the real Chat Noir, and not only that, he almost kissed her and practically confessed his feelings on the air. Tonight couldn't have been more perfect if she wished for it. Chat Noir was a perfect gentleman; much different from the vast majority of guys on campus. All Marinette knew was she had to see him again. They had parted far too soon with Alya's interruption. But, as she left, she could have sworn she saw disappointment flash on his face. That had to mean something, right?

Or how about the fact that he could have boasted at the party who he was and been surrounded by people the entire night, but he didn't. The guy didn't even tell her who he was at first; he was concerned about was helping her get away from the quarterback.

The instant connection was something Marinette couldn't ignore. She had never felt so comfortable with someone besides Luka. Her mind betrayed her and replayed the almost kiss. If Alya hadn't interrupted them, she probably would have allowed Chat to kiss her.

Marinette's fingers traced her lip, eyes half-lidded, and a giggle escaped her. What was wrong with her? She was acting like a lovesick school girl. Yet, Marinette couldn't deny that her mind had wandered to him every second since the party ended. Her body started to shut down, preparing her to sleep, all the while remaining saturated in her blissful state. Marinette had no doubts that her dreams would be flooded with a certain cat tonight.


	8. Chapter 8 Lightning

**A.N.- So more chapters coming your way. I have to get this story completely up to date. Thank you for all the follows, favorites, and comments.**

* * *

The sun streaming into the room was almost enough to cause Alya to go blind. A groan tumbled out of her mouth and into her pillow. Why did she feel like she got hit by a train? Head pounding, she attempted to sit up, but the movement became too much and brought a wave of nausea.

"You're awake!" Tikki chirped.

Alya winced. She didn't understand morning people on normal days, let alone when she had this killer migraine.

"Please stop yelling." Alya cringed to herself. Why was the room still slightly spinning? Tikki held out a drink concoction, and she took it reluctantly.

"What is this?"

"It's better not to ask," Tikki admitted. "But it will help with the headache."

"What happened last night?" Alya groaned. "Did I do anything stupid?"

"I don't know. I only saw you for a little while," Tikki confessed.

Last night was fuzzy at best, and Alya could only hope that she didn't do anything too embarrassing in front of Nino. She really liked him and didn't want to screw anything up. But everywhere she turned, someone new was handing her a shot. If she was going to be in the know in this school, she had to befriend people. Because of this, she accepted one too many drinks.

"Marinette left a note that I should have the drink ready for you when you woke up to help with the hangover.

The color drained from her face; so that answered one question. She definitely owed Marinette a favor in the future. She raced to check her phone - nothing. Alya's heart plummeted.

Wouldn't he send her a text if she didn't scare him off? Something?

"Did you see Nino with me last night?"

"You two were attached at the hip from what I could see."

Well, that was a relief. Maybe Nino didn't feel comfortable walking her back to the dorm in whatever shape she was in, so he asked Marinette. Still, she probably wouldn't live down the shame of the things she did or said.

"I wouldn't worry too much," Tikki piped in as if she could read her mind. "Plagg says that Nino talks about you a lot when they're hanging out. Clearly, Nino has a thing for you."

"He does?"

The knowledge gave her some comfort. She couldn't have ruined that in one night, right?

Alya's phone buzzed beside her. The name "Nino" caused her heart to skip a beat.

**Hoping you're doing ok this morning. Marinette assured me you got back safely. I can't wait for our coffee date on Thursday (remember you promised) XD**

"See?" Tikki said, leaning over Alya's shoulder. "I told you that he's smitten."

Alya could barely hear her with her thoughts racing. She didn't remember agreeing to a coffee date on Thursday, but it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. The thought filled her with dread while awakening the butterflies resting at the bottom of her stomach. A party was the perfect first date so that the pressure was off, but an actual date in a coffee shop was different. It would be just them, their drinks, and whatever conversation spawned between them.

Maybe she could have him fill in the blanks because the only thing she could vaguely remember was interrupting Adrien and Marinette.

* * *

Adrien nervously wiped the sweat from his hands onto his jeans. He shouldn't be nervous. He was meeting Marinette for crying out loud. They had planned this visit last week, but that's before the party. He almost kissed her as Chat Noir at the party, and now he was expected to hold it together as Adrien? He almost canceled - twice in fact. Adrien had pulled out his phone multiple times that morning, composed a message, and deleted it.

He could do this without becoming a stumbling mess. He had to put some of his modeling techniques to good use.

A knock demanded his attention. He hurried towards the door, glad that Plagg was nowhere to be seen so he couldn't tease them.

As soon as his eyes landed on her, his mouth began to run dry. Her hair was in pigtails as usual, but she wore black pants and a red, oversized, cozy-looking sweater.

It was getting colder outside now that they were nearing the middle of fall. But despite that logic, it didn't stop his brain from a partial meltdown at the sight of her.

"Hey, Adrien."

"Uh-hi." Not his most confident greeting, but it would have to do.

Marinette smiled and thumbed the exit. "Ready to go?"

Unable to conjure up words properly, he nodded. This girl would be the death of him.

"I can't thank you enough, Mlle. Dupain-Cheng." The man accepted the held out check. "Because of you, we can continue to care for the animals of Paris."

Whether she realized it or not, Marinette was beaming. Her eyes danced with the overflow of joy and pride that couldn't be contained in her smile. If he weren't smitten before, that look alone would have been enough to gain his attention.

"Thank you, but I can assure you that the effort wasn't just because of me. The other students are the real heroes. I just get to speak on their behalf."

And she was humble to boot. Adrien had met thousands of people through his family connections, but none could compare to Marinette. Now if they could only have a repeat of the previous night.

"Well, I still thank you. If there's anything I could do." The man's features lit up. "Would you and your boyfriend like to have some hands-on time with the animals?"

Adrien could have swallowed his own tongue. It wasn't surprising that the manager came to that conclusion. There wasn't any real reason for him to be here. But even with that logic, it didn't stop Adrien's cheeks from heating up. His only comfort was that Marinette had the same kind of reaction.

"He's not-"

"We're not-"

Both of them stopped when they heard the other start to cut in, their blushes deepening.

_I'm not her boyfriend, but I want to be. _

The older man smiled as if he could read Adrien's mind and motioned for them to follow.

He fell in line next to Marinette but remained silent. One glance over showed the pink tint gracing her cheeks.

Why would the assumption rattle her at all? Unfortunately, Adrien didn't have time to think longer on the thought as he ushered them into a room. Barks echoed through the room. He wished the staff would have asked what kind of animals they would prefer. Dogs were great, but he was starting to prefer cats.

Adrien braved a look at Marinette. Her cheeks had returned to normal, and she had preoccupied herself with looking at pictures of newly adopted pets on the wall.

"Thanks for letting me tag along, Marinette. I'm having a lot of fun."

Unfortunately, he didn't have time to dive into the thought more as they were led into a room.

"We haven't gotten to play with the kittens yet," she countered.

"But the company makes up for that." The phrase slipped out before he could stop it. What was he thinking?

A coy smile emerged on her face. "Good to know. Here I thought I was terrible company."

"Never," he shot back, lips lifting into a boyish grin.

"Choose: being stuck in a room with Chloé all day or going on a date with Lila?"

His nose wrinkled, neither of those options sounded appealing, but that was the whole point of the game.

Well, he could tolerate Chloé much better than Lila, but could he really endure 24 hours with her? In either situation, he wasn't sure if he would make it out alive.

"Chloé," he finally answered. "Unless a five-second date is available."

Marinette giggled. "Wouldn't be much of a date, now would it?"

Now it was his turn, and it was time to test a theory.

"Choose: having Kim as your boyfriend-" He started to chicken out, but was unable to come up with any other name or scenario. "-Or me."

Heat flooded his face until the was sure he was red as a tomato. Leave it to him to go and make things all weird. Panic bubbled inside his chest.

"Hypothetically, of course, because we're just friends."

Marinette's laughter was not the reaction he expected.

"I thought both choices were supposed to be horrible." Her hand landed on her hip.

Adrien's heart started to slam against his rib cage. "We both have our flaws." What possessed him to say that, he would never know. Nerves, possibly.

"If you say so." Marinette bumped his shoulder playfully. "Is that really what you want to spend your question on?"

Adrien swallowed thickly before replying. "Yeah." He already put himself on the line. Might as well know. He understood Chat Noir stood a chance against Kim, but what about plain old Adrien?

Marinette glanced over her shoulder at him. "Kim's not my type."

He opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted when the staff opened the door with an armful of kittens.

"Take all the time you want and let us know when you're done."

Marinette crouched to scoop up an orange one in her arms.

"Well, aren't you cute, Kyo." She flicked his tag playfully. "I wonder if your Tohru is around somewhere."

Adrien's gaze softened, warmth building up in his chest. His attention was drawn to his feet as a fluffy white kitten rubbing itself against his legs.

He leaned down and scratched the cat's ears, earning a purr as a reward. The fur was one of the softest he'd ever felt. "Bowie, huh?" He chuckled to himself. "My dad would flip if I adopted you."

"He's not a cat person?" Marinette chimed in.

Adrien's head whipped in her direction. He hadn't realized she had been watching.

"He's not a pet person. I begged for so much as a goldfish when I was younger. When my father finally caved, the fish only lasted a week. After that, he turned down every time I asked. It's a shame, though," Adrien sighed. "A cat would have been great company growing up."

"You _look _like a cat person." Marinette took a seat on the ground, and the remaining kittens started to flock towards her. The orange cat hissed and took a swipe at a black one.

"Now, now, Kyo. Play nice." She put him down and reached for the black one. The second she started to cuddle with it, a loud purr emitted from the black fuzzball.

"Seems like black cats have a thing for you."

"Who told you?" The alarm in her voice took him off guard.

When he saw her blush return and eyes blown wide, he realized that she was referring to _another _black cat.

He had two options: play dumb or use the opportunity to find out how much of a shot he had with her as Chat Noir.

"Nino."

The color on her cheeks darkened as she cursed under her breath.

"Are you mad?" She asked timidly.

Adrien cocked his head to the side. How did she jump to that conclusion? There were few things she could do that would warrant those kinds of feelings, but this certainly wasn't one of them. "Why would I be mad?"

"I know you're a fan of Chat." Marinette's gaze dropped to the kitten in her hands. "I kept it from you because I didn't want you to feel bad."

She hid it to protect his feelings? If he weren't the one she hung around the party with, he would have been even more touched.

Adrien shrugged. "Everyone is entitled to their secrets." He certainly couldn't complain, not with his undisclosed hobby.

One day he would find the courage to tell her, but today was not that day.

"We just had a connection - after I got over his get up. He made me feel safe and kept me company throughout the entire night." The color drifted to the tips of her ears. "He almost kissed me. What's worse is I wanted him too."

Realization of what she just said must have caught up with her because she gasped and turned away. "I'm sorry. I'm sure you don't want to hear about this."

"No, it's fine!" Adrien cut in before she could get any more out.

Marinette's body relaxed, although she hadn't turned back towards him.

"Thanks, Adrien. I feel comfortable talking to you. You're probably one of my best friends."

As much as the words initially stung, they left behind a shallow warmth. If nothing else, he could be there for her no matter what.

"Well, as a best friend," he nudged her back, trying to pretend the word wasn't like sandpaper on his tongue, "I might need a favor."

Marinette stopped petting the cat in her arms and attentively turned towards him.

"So, next week, the school is hosting this date auction to raise money for student council. I, unfortunately, got roped into it." He wished he had the courage to ask her to bid, but all that confidence ended the second she put him in the friend zone. "So, if someone like Lila wins, could you crash the date at some point and extract me?" He made it sound like a military mission, and, to an extent, it was. If Lila won, she probably wouldn't let him go so easily.

Marinette's lips tucked into a smirk. "Well, sure, _Princess_. I'll be your knight in shining armor."

* * *

Chloé had this habit of pacing when she was on the phone with her mom. She couldn't help it. It was bad enough that her mother got her name wrong all the time, but Chloé went out of her way to appease her.

"Are you listening to me?"

She cringed. She was listening, mostly. But drowning her mother out with her thoughts was much more appealing at the moment.

"Yes, mother," she replied. It was probably about what her mother always ranted about: fashion, and Chloé not dragging down the family name. Either way, the speech repeated like a broken record.

"And do you understand?"

So, the reprimand was for her then. For once, Chloé was thankful that her mother wouldn't step foot on the campus even if she begged.

"Absolutely."

The line clicked off, but not before her mother muttered "Goodbye Casserole." How hard was it for her to remember 'Chloé'? After all, she must have had some say in naming her.

Suddenly, a pair of arms engulfed her from behind.

"There's no way a girl as beautiful as you should be this sad."

If his voice didn't give Luka away, his leather bracelets did.

Chloé allowed herself to relax for a split second, reliving the memories of what once was.

"Want to talk about it?" Luka released his light grip on her.

There were several things she'd rather do: one of which was to use him as her distraction. But even if she did, Chloé was sorely aware that wouldn't fix her problems with her mother.

She looked up into his warm, inviting eyes and her knees could have molded into jello. After all this time, nothing could be more apparent than she still had some feelings for him.

She had unblocked his number after the party. And after a couple of coaxing texts on Luka's end, she caved and started texting back.

"It's nothing," she lied. It wasn't like he could do to fix it anyway. If anything, his presence would agitate the problem further.

"Oh, Chloé," Luka sighed, grabbing her hand. "When are you going to learn that you don't have to face things alone."

"Chloé, is this guy giving you problems?" Sabrina interrupted them, and, as a gut reaction, she ripped her hand from his.

She groaned. Not now of all times. This was hard enough already. It was her fault that her friends hated him. But what could she have said to explain away the time they caught her crying in her room? Back then, it was so much easier to blame Luka. Chloé could never have imagined her mother stepping in and forcing her hand on their relationship like that. But when Chloe checked, Luka's number had been blocked.

If Luka didn't stand a chance back then, he certainly didn't now. As soon as her mother found out, she would do what she normally did: find a way to ruin things. He didn't deserve that.

"I can handle this, Sabrina. You can go get me a coffee."

"But"-

"Coffee," she snapped. Chloé hadn't meant to lash out on her, but now that she knew the truth, she couldn't let her best friend rip Luka apart with her words. There was a clear answer to how to handle the situation, and she didn't like it one bit.

"Looks like Sabrina will have to get used to me being around." Luka leaned against the edge of the bench and reached to wrap his arms around her waist.

Chloé grimaced. This would hurt him, but he'd be better off in the long run not having to deal with her mother and the wrath that she would undoubtedly rain down.

She gently moved his hands off her waist. "No, she won't."

"Bee?"

The way his voice broke with the nickname almost made her think twice. Almost.

"At the party, that was a mistake." Her words dipped in poison, slowly eating at her insides. She wished she could go back to when the first met. Things were easier then.

"I don't understand," Luka responded, tone shaky. "Did I do something wrong?"

"It's not you," she blurted out. It wasn't his fault at all. Chloé turned her back to him, unable to look him in the eye. "It's me," she finished weakly. Her, her mother, her upbringing, and all the things were working against the relationship. Right now, she felt more useless than the cliche. "You'd be better off forgetting about me."

Her body froze when she heard him stand up. Chloé squeezed her eyes closed.

"I will if you look me in the eye and tell me that's what you want."

A string of curses lined up on her tongue. She couldn't do what he wanted, and he knew it.

"Goodbye, Luka." Without turning back, Chloé willed her feet to move to the coffee shop.

* * *

Nino couldn't help but tap his foot to try and release the nerves inside him. She was late. Had she changed her mind and decided not to come? The other option was maybe she'd got lost; although, he was sure he had given clear instructions where to meet. There were only so many coffee shops on campus, after all.

But why would she change her mind if she confirmed with him not even an hour ago?

"I'm sorry I'm late," Alya shouted, racing up his table slightly out of breath. She sunk into the seat, but not before setting her bag on the back of the chair. "I lost track of time."

"Isn't it bad form for a journalist to show up late? They might miss out on a good story."

Alya cocked an eyebrow at him. "Why? Are you going to give me the story of the year?"

"Well, I did get a second date now, didn't I?" He had quickly learned that Alya thrived on banter and challenges. She saw it as a form of confidence.

Growing up, he usually had a quick quip ready to go but restrained himself for whatever reason. Alya was slowly coaxing out the habit to speak his mind.

"Yes, you did," she agreed. "And you were even considerate enough to get us scones as well."

"Chocolate chip." Nino beamed. "Some of the most underrated ones out there."

"Well, you can hardly go wrong with chocolate." She replied. "And you bought me coffee as well?"

"Well, it wouldn't be much of a date if I didn't, now would it?"

"Point taken." Alya leaned forward and took another sip from her coffee. "How did you know I liked cold brews?"

Nino looked from Alya down to her coffee. How did he know that she liked cold brews? It's not like had seen her drinking coffee that often, but when he did, the drink picture looked a lot like what she usually drank. Not that he was going to tell her that the whole thing was a guess.

"I guess you could say I'm observant," he countered.

"Well then, maybe you can help me." Her eyes lit up, much like when she got an idea. "I need your skills to find out who Chat Noir and Carapace are."

He hadn't meant to choke on his coffee. Nino was ready for almost every scenario, but that one took him by surprise. By the time he got his coughing fit under control, he had realized that he still needed to provide an answer.

"Why do you need to find out their identities? Wouldn't they reveal themselves if they wanted people to know who they are?"

"But are you even the least bit curious?"

No. No, he was not. The last thing that should happen is Alya blasting their secret identities to the internet. She had talked about it enough for him to know that she had quite a following. Alya wasn't the only one who was interested in the faces behind the radio.

"So, what do you say? It would help me out."

How does the saying go? Keep your friends close and your enemies closer? Alya was far from Nino's enemy, but when it came to Carapace - he had to make a decision, and fast.

"Alright," Nino caved. As long as he kept Alya close, he could maneuver her investigation away from Adrien and himself.

"You don't have to walk me back, you know," Alya assured, bumping his shoulder as they walked.

"I don't know." Nino's lips spread into a playful grin. "I wouldn't want you to get lost on your way back."

Alya's fist connected with his shoulder. "Keep it up, and you'll get on my bad side."

The pointed reply was enough for Nino to keep his retorts under control. "I wouldn't want that." After asking for his help with the blog, the rest of the date went off without a hitch. He got her talking about some of the craziest stories she had heard in her life.

"Thank you," Alya interrupted the silence. "I had a nice time today."

They were approaching her dorm far too soon for Nino's taste. The butterflies fluttered every time he was near her, and he found himself wanting to know more about her.

"I did, too. We should definitely do it again soon." He took the plunge and reached out to squeeze her hand. To his delight, she didn't pull away.

They reached the door to their dorm, and Alya turned to face him. In a blink of an eye, she leaned in and pressed her lips to his.

Nino's heart stopped.

"I'd like that." The corners of Alya's lips tugged back into a smug smile. "Text me."

She disappeared into the dorms, leaving his knees wobbling. This girl would be the death of him, and he would enjoy every minute.


	9. Chapter 9 Paper Hearts

Marinette could barely keep her eyes open as she made her way back to her dorm. Mondays always seemed to drag between classes and her time spent volunteering in the library. Even though the day was long, Marinette's heart and mind swam with memories of the party and interactions with Chat.

She climbed up the stairs and rounded the corner, but slowed to a halt when she saw something outside the door. Was this another gift from random suitors trying to win over Chloé? But as Marinette approached, she saw a small wrapped box with her name scribbled on the note.

It was for her?

Marinette looked both ways, but there were no clues to who could have left the mystery box. She picked it up slowly and opened the envelope.

_Marinette-_

_I'm sorry that I can't come out and tell you who I am. But I want us to pick up where we left off because girls like you only come around once in a lifetime. It has my number programmed, so if I wasn't the only one to feel that spark between us, text me. _

_-CN_

With a few rips, Marinette discovered a cell phone box. With trembling fingers, she pulled the phone from the container. No one had ever done something like this before. Did it mean that he liked her back? She held the packaging tight to protect it against the wrath of her roommate.

Marinette opened the door to a dark room; the only light emitted coming from Chloé on her phone, a new normal. Tonight she was spared the blonde's scoff at her existence.

She curled up on her bed and turned on a dim bedside light just in time for her new phone to vibrate.

**Chat Noir: I see you got my present.**

Her body tensed. He was keeping track of when she discovered his gift? Granted, everyone in this building had access to their hall.

**Chat?**

The message bubbles appeared almost instantly.

**Chat Noir: At your service, Milady.**

Marinette muffled a giggle into her sheets. Chat was certainly not like other guys, but his corniness was part of his charm.

**Why did you get me a phone?**

She thought she knew the answer, but it was better to hear it from him. After all, she didn't want to entertain her feelings any more than she had to if his charm and flirting was part of his persona.

**Chat Noir: Didn't you read the note?**

The note? She pulled it out again, eyes running from line to line. Her phone signaled another message.

**Chat Noir: I like you. I can't get you out of my mind. Tell me I'm not crazy. **

Marinette was thankful that she was laying down; otherwise, her legs would have given out. Her heart was pounding so hard she was surprised that Chloé didn't snap at her to keep quiet.

**You're not crazy. I haven't been able to stop thinking about that night either. **

The message bubbles formed again. Once he responded, Marinette's breath caught in her throat.

**Chat Noir: In that case, how about a date with me on Saturday?**

* * *

"I'm so glad we get to go see Aladdin together," Tikki exclaimed as she caught up to Alya and Marinette in line to buy tickets. Every friend group needed a little ray of sunshine, and Tikki was undoubtedly theirs. "It's such a nice day."

"Me too. "Marinette smiled. It turns out that Tikki's behavior was contagious. In all honesty, she was glad that they got to go off campus for a girl's day. The two girls stormed her room, catching her off guard and wouldn't take no for an answer. "It's great to get off the school grounds and not have to worry about classes"-

"Or certain roommates," Alya chimed in.

Chloé had been in a sour mood towards the world for the last couple of days, and Marinette didn't know why. Everything she did, her roommate ended up snapping at her. Chloé's mood could flip without warning.

The phone in her pocket buzzed, and, without looking, she knew who it was from. Chat. She pulled it out and sure enough, the text she got was from her cat in shining armor.

**Chat Noir: Thinking about you. What are you up to?**

Marinette couldn't hide the smile forming. How could he evoke a smile without fail every time he texted her? Chat Noir had become famous among the campus life, and yet, he paid attention to her.

**I have a girl's day with some friends watching a movie. You?**

There had been numerous conversations since he dropped the letter and the phone off a couple of days ago. At first, she was skeptical that her gifter was Chat Noir, but the more they talked, the more she was convinced.

**Chat Noir: Jealous. I'm finishing up the schedule for the show tonight.**

The fact that she had an inside scoop made her appreciate what he did even more. Chat worked so hard so things would go off without a hitch, and his listeners didn't have a clue. Her fingers typed out out a response.

**I'm sure the show will be great. Couldn't you sneak away and go to a movie if you wanted?**

From what she gathered from their conversations, he spent his time working on YVR, his studies, and with family engagements that he wished he could get out of. Marinette couldn't help but wonder when he did anything fun.

**Chat Noir: It wouldn't be with you.**

Heat spread across her cheeks. Every now and then, he would slip in comments like this, and it made her heart do flips every time.

"Who's texting you?" Alya tried to take a peek over her shoulder.

Thankfully, Marinette shoved her phone safely in her pocket before her friend could see anything of importance. She had chosen not to tell Alya about having a direct link to Chat Noir. She still wanted to know his identity, but she didn't agree with Alya's plan to out him to the school.

"No one," Marinette answered.

"I'm going to go get some snacks. I'll meet you two inside the theater." Tikki threw Marinette a knowing look, leaving her even more confused at what she could know. She certainly hadn't told anyone she had met Chat Noir.

Alya didn't waste any of their time alone. "It's Adrien, isn't it?"

"No." The smart move would have been to cave in to whatever Alya thought and formulate a plan from there, but Marinette's gut reaction kicked in faster. As a result, her response made her seem guilty.

Alya smirked. "You don't have to hide it from me, girl. I saw you two at the party."

The two girls made their way up the stairs inside the theater.

"That wasn't Adrien. That was-" Marinette realized how loud she sounded when she received glares from those around her. "...someone else."

She couldn't very well tell her she was with Chat Noir. Alya would rope her into one of her schemes.

"Oh, someone else, huh." Alya's eyes twinkled mischievously. "I don't believe you."

"Adrien was at a photo shoot all night. He couldn't have been there," Marinette started, hoping that reason would finally sink in. If Adrien had gone to the party, he would have told her.

"Besides, I don't like Adrien that way. You know I like Chat."

Heat tickled her skin, and Marinette knew she was blushing.

"Sure, and that's fine for a while, but you can't be in a relationship with a radio persona. You need someone real."

Marinette knew where Alya was coming from, and part of this was her not being completely honest. Her friend didn't know that she was in constant contact with Chat. And if she fully believed that it was Adrien with her at the party then she never officially met him.

"He _is _real," Marinette defended, crossing her arms.

"But do you believe he'd give up his identity just so you two could be a couple?"

Alya had a point. Even if Chat Noir asked her out on a date, there was no guarantee that he would reveal who he was. For all she knew, this could be a fling for a semester, and then he would move on.

"Wouldn't it be better to set your sights on someone like Adrien? I think you two would work well together - and Tikki agrees."

Well, now she knew what Tikki thought too. That would also explain the look she was given.

"Alya, do you hear yourself? Adrien is a _model_. There's no way I'm his type- even if I was interested." Marinette added the last bit for good measure. She didn't need her friend coming up with wild scenarios that weren't true.

"I don't know. You two look pretty cozy whenever you hang out."

If that was her only reasoning, there were a few people that fit the bill for a relationship. "Because we're friends."

Alya leaned forward on her armrest. "And if I'm right about Adrien being Chat Noir?"

"You're not," Marinette growled in frustration. "There's no way Adrien would keep something like that from me. Besides, Adrien was at the photoshoot when multiple people witnessed Chat Noir at the party."

"And you haven't lied about your whereabouts before?"

Marinette opened her mouth to retort.

"What did I miss?" Tikki slid into the seat, popcorn, and candy filling her arms.

There it was again: a knowing look from the redhead. Marinette wished she knew what she was trying to tell her.

"Nothing," Marinette muttered. It would do no good to further the conversation, especially if Tikki took Alya's side.

Her saving grace was when the lights dimmed in the theater, and the previews started. Marinette was saved from any more prying conversations, but she found that she couldn't get Alya's words out of her head.

_And if I'm right about Adrien being Chat Noir?_

She shook her head to dismiss the thought. Alya had to be wrong.

* * *

Adrien wanted nothing more than to run and hide anywhere on campus. If he would get paired up with a nice girl, or even better: Marinette, then things would be ok. His luck wasn't that good. More than likely, Marinette would have to come to rescue him at some point. If she even remembered that is. Otherwise, he would have to fend for himself.

He wondered what his father would have to say about this little event. There was a chance that Adrien would get by without a lecture about focusing on what mattered in life.

And he was: being involved in this date auction helped people. The student council would raise more money to pour back into the students.

He peeked his head out of the curtains just in time to see Marinette walk through the doors. Warmth settled inside his chest as he resisted the urge to go and speak with her. Knowing him, he would blurt out that he couldn't wait for their date later in the week, only to have some explaining to do. Staying put was for the better. Maybe, if he were just lucky enough, he would wind up on two dates with Marinette.

Luka was only here because the girl on the student council was almost in tears when she asked him. It seemed that every member had to recruit at least one guy for the auction, and she had already gotten turned down several times. He remembered seeing Marinette and Alya coming in a little while ago as well as a few others he recognized.

One date wouldn't be so terrible, and the council assured him the money would be going towards events later in the semester.

At the corner of his eye, he caught sight, a bright yellow sweater ducking behind the curtain meant for the staff.

"Well, that's interesting," Luka mumbled. He followed her without hesitation. When he caught up to her, Chloé had some papers in her hand, presumably the list of candidates. She hadn't noticed his presence yet, and that could be used for his favor.

"Be careful, Chlo." He crossed his arms over his chest. "If you keep following me, someone might get the wrong idea."

Maybe that was a low blow, but his mind was still reeling from their last conversation. Not to mention, fate had a sick sense of humor. They had run into each other no less than three times since she told him that their little make-out session was a mistake. No words were exchanged, just pleading eyes before one of them shuffled away.

She still had feelings for him, that much was obvious.

"I'm not following you," Chloé snapped defensively.

He smirked. It was slightly amusing that she thought she could lie to him. "Then what do you have there?" Luka kicked off the wall and closed the gap between them.

"Nothing." Whatever was in her hands flew behind her back.

"Really?" He took another step forward. "Because it looks like something to me." Luka reached behind Chloé and snatched the papers in one try. "It looks like you found the list for the contestants. Now, why would you need that? Wanting to bid on someone in particular?"

The air around them thickened as they locked eyes.

"If you must know, the _only one _I'll be bidding on is Adrien Agreste." The harshness in her voice caused his hair to stand on edge. "Not that it's any of your business."

"Is that so?" Luka challenged.

"Yes. That's so. Now if you excuse me." She bumped shoulders as she passed him. "I got what I needed."

Luka glanced around at the other poor saps that got pulled into this contest. He had only agreed to get his mind off Chloé, a futile mission since she decided to show.

A few faces he recognized, such as the school's beloved athlete star, Kim.

Luka's gaze drifted past him to a blond tucked away into the corner. Upon closer speculation, he realized that it was none other than Adrien Agreste.

So, maybe Chloé was telling the truth. As much as that truth might sting, there was nothing he could do on the matter.

Only, if he remembered correctly, Adrien didn't like Chloé like that. If he were a betting man, he would place money that the model held a flame for Marinette.

"So, they dragged you into this too?"

His question seemed to snap the blond out of his daze. Adrien's hand jumped to the back of his neck, sheepishly.

"Uh, yeah. The student council can be persuasive when they want to be."

Luka leaned up against the wall nonchalantly. "Tell me about it," he sighed. "So, is there a certain girl you wish would win your date?"

The blush was enough of an answer. Luka followed his gaze until they landed on Marinette; he smiled softly. Even though she swore there was nothing between her and Adrien, Luka wondered if she even had a clue that the model was harboring a small crush. Maybe he could step in, and get her to face whatever she was feeling.

"Hey," he bumped Adrien's shoulder, "why don't you say we spin this on its head?"

* * *

"So, are you planning on bidding on anyone special?" Alya asked, catching her friend off guard.

She was doing this for her own good. Once she and Tikki got back to the dorm, a full discussion launched revolving around Marinette. Her roommate agreed with her that Marinette would make a good match.

"I'm just here to support my friends," Marinette replied.

There had to be more to it then that since it was Marinette's idea to attend in the first place. The second Alya saw Adrien Agreste's name advertised; she knew that he had to be part of the reason. They had gotten too close without feelings popping up somewhere. The sooner she broke through Marinette's apparent denial, the better. Then could the Marinette and Adrien become a power couple on campus.

"Well, that's certainly nice of you." There was no need to push her farther than what was needed. Alya knew she was already toeing the line closely.

"What? No snarky remark about my love life?"

"You can make your own choices." Alya raised her hands defensively. "But a blue-haired birdie told me to instruct you to bid on number twenty-four."

Luka had stopped Alya before the bidding, searching for Marinette. He had explained that he and Adrien had swapped numbers because people had been peeking at the list. Alya assured him that she would pass on the information, and she had. It was a new development that Luka took an interest, something she dubbed: 'Adrienette.'

"Luka?" Marinette whispered loud enough for Alya to hear. A confusion laced itself within her voice, although Alya didn't know why. Luka had been her friend for years. Was this something that he usually didn't do?

An announcement rang out over the speakers that the auction was about to begin. Alya grabbed Marinette's hand with a grin and dragged her to the front. She had a knack for smelling out a story before it occurred. Something was going to go down. She knew it.

"Welcome everyone, and thank you for coming to the 2nd Annual Blind Date Auction. I'll go over the rules real quick. We'll read out a quick summary and then open the auction. The winner of the round will receive an envelope, and the name inside will list the handsome hunk that you won a date with."

It didn't sound too complicated; Adrien was thankful for the anonymity. It would make what Luka had planned possible. The best part: the reassurance that he didn't even have to lift a finger.

"Before we start, the student council would like to introduce you to the fine young men you'll be bidding on. Come on out, boys."

Adrien gulped. Guess that was his cue.

* * *

Watching the first few guys get auctioned off was nerve-wracking at best, and it wasn't even his turn yet.

"And next we have number 18."

Adrien exchanged glances with Luka. This was his original spot in the auction, and even now he was nervous for Luka. He filled out the sheet honestly, but anyone who knew anything about him might pick up on the hints he dropped.

"He likes hanging out with his friends, watching movies, or playing video games. If you win this date, he will treat you to a romantic picnic. Let's start the bidding at $10."

Luka raised an eyebrow at Adrien but kept his composure otherwise. Adrien didn't care what Luka thought of him. The picnic wasn't that bad of an idea. His mother told him about times that his father treated her to a day out in the park. He would be the first to admit that when it came to the romance department, he needed all the help that he could get.

His attention turned to the floor when he saw Marinette raise her hand to bid. What? No! This was the one thing he hadn't accounted for. If he and Luka switched numbers and no one told Marinette then, of course, she would bid. She had promised that she would do everything that she could.

"And sold to the young dark-haired girl right there."

_Great. Just great. _

Even though it was his turn, Adrien didn't think he was ready. He switched numbers with Luka, and they convinced others to do the same. Guilt tore at his insides at how the student council must have felt, but it seemed like they were taking it in stride.

"Next up in contestant number 24." The host announced. "He likes concerts, good food, and even better conversation. Let's start the bidding at $10."

Adrien couldn't be more thankful that the auctions were blind. Otherwise, the girls might work their way to a frenzy. He peeked from behind the curtain to see several girls driving up the bid, including Marinette. His heart played a drumline piece inside his chest. Was she bidding because that's the kind of guy that she was into? Did she know that he and Luka switch numbers?

His palms started to sweat, Adrien found that he couldn't take his eyes off of Marinette. She was in the lead until Chloé stepped in.

Adrien could watch as everything happened in slow motion. The gavel hitting the wood, the word sold finalizing his sentence, and Chloé was rubbing it into everyone around her.

Marinette… didn't win. And what's worse, Chloé would drag the date all day if she had anything to say about it.

* * *

"Alright bidders," the host called out. "It's time for the reveal! Will all the winners take the stage?"

Adrien gripped his hands by his side. He could only offer a smile as Marinette passed him. She was so calm; she probably didn't even realize that she didn't win a date with him and wouldn't until she opened the envelope.

The first couple of girls sounded thrilled; they were paired with Kim and some of the other athletes. Alya saw through the ruse and picked Nino out of everyone.

Adrien swallowed hard when he noticed it was Chloé's turn. She threw a smug down the line for the rest of the girls. She ripped opened the paper.

"Adrien Agreste."

Something was off; he knew Chloé well enough to hear the surprise in her voice. His eyes drifted to her hands to see them shaking. But if she was surprised, then who did she think she was bidding on?

Marinette's eyes dropped down to her envelope. Adrien tensed, except he knew exactly who she had written on her paper.

_Luka Couffaine._

* * *

Without any warning, a pair of hands from behind covered Nino's eyes. Could this be Alya when she was feeling playful? She liked doing this kind of thing to him, after all.

"Alright, Alya. I know it's you." He expected the hands to be removed quickly, and Alya would then laugh, saying that he figured it out so quickly.

"It's not Alya."

The voice caused him to freeze. No, it couldn't be. Nino whipped around, breaking the hold from his captor's hands.

"Mira?" he breathed out. "What are you doing here?"

The last time he had seen the brunette was through a window almost a year and a half ago. It was well-known knowledge among his friends, and she had wanted him to meet her at the restaurant Napolis to say goodbye. The only problem was that he hadn't gone inside. Feet firmly planted, all he could do was sit there, unwilling to say such a permanent goodbye with thousands of miles separating them. She was the first one to listen to his music, the first one that he opened up to, the first girl he had fallen in love with.

Here she was standing in front of him, and he could only hope that she wasn't a ghost.

"I came here to see you." Her green eyes shown brightly

He grabbed her arm and pulled her gently to the side of the room. "What do you mean?"

"Well, my father had business here and allowed me to tag along. I saw that you went here, and my curiosity got the better of me. I never thought that I would find you here."

"Uh, yeah…" He allowed his voice to trail off, unsure of what else to say.

"Don't tell me you." She pointed from him to one of the posters on the wall and released a laugh. "You were auctioned off tonight."

Even though he was dragged into this, he had fun, and he had won a date with Alya. And right now, he didn't appreciate being teased, even in good nature. "It was for a good cause."

Even though some charities would be much better off with the money, he did applaud the student council for thinking of the fundraiser.

"Oh, come on. Don't be like that." Mira bumped his arm, playfully, "I was only teasing. I'm sure whichever girl you're stuck with will have a great time."

"Ahem," Alya cleared her throat behind him. "I'm sure the girl he's stuck with would do just fine on their date."

Nino's throat ran dry. This scenario wasn't ideal. He hadn't told Alya about Mira since whatever was between them was still fresh. Now the girls had come face to face, and neither looked extremely happy.

"Alya, there you are." Mira would have to come second. Because she was his past, and he didn't want to jeopardize his future with Alya.

"Who's this?" Alya nodded in his ex's direction; arms crossed an eyebrow arched.

Nino's palms began to sweat.

"Alya, this is Mira, my"- What could he say? It's not like they were official or anything. "My old friend."

Mira scoffed, so obviously not the answer that she wanted to hear.

"And Mira, this is Alya."

"His girlfriend," Alya answered for him.

Nino did a double-take. Not that he minded if Alya became his girlfriend, but he hadn't expected her to come to that conclusion soon.

Mira's hands bunched at her side as the atmosphere thickened around them.

"I just wanted to stop by to say hi to one of my _ close _friends."

Nino felt Alya tighten around his arm. If he didn't defuse the hostility waging between them, it might escalate.

"But I guess another time," Mira relented. "Text me, Nino." She flirtatiously waved before disappearing into the crowd.

"Alya." Now was as good a time as any to dive into his past.

"I need some air," she seethed and headed towards the door in the opposite direction.

* * *

Adrien peeked out from behind the makeshift curtains that the school had put up hoping that it would be enough to hide him. He would have loved to be out among the students if it wasn't for who won his auction. Marinette had tried her best, and he didn't blame her, but he couldn't even fake that he was looking forward to his date with Chloé, but better than Lila he supposed. Adrien could only hope that Marinette would keep her word and help him to worm his way out of it.

His green eyes scanned the crowd until they landed on the object of his affection. He pulled out his Chat Noir phone which every intention to text her. It was busy enough in here that he could text her and keep his identity a secret. Not that it would matter, Adrien had planned to tell her, once the time was right. He hadn't cleared the idea by Plagg or Nino, let alone thought they would agree to it quickly. But Marinette was becoming one of his best friends, and keeping his secret had become harder and harder. Tikki knew, and nothing had happened with that change, in fact, with no secrets between them, she had even helped bounce around ideas.

A phone buzzed, but not the Chat Noir one in his hand. Adrien switched phones just in time to see the text notification from Marinette.

**Marinette: I'm sorry, I tried. **

There she was, apologizing for something she never had to apologize for in the first place. A smile graced his lips, not being able to tear his eyes away from the message — another buzz.

**Marinette: But I didn't forget what I promised. ;)**

At least he had the assurance that she would be for him when it mattered.

**You're amazing. Did you know that?**

"Adrien!" Alya's stern voice snapped his attention as she emerged through the curtains. "I have a bone to pick with you."

Did something happen with Nino to make her upset? But how did that relate to him? Either way, he never wanted to put himself in this position, especially with how close she was to put things together.

Adrien opened his mouth, but Alya didn't give him a chance to ask.

"Tell me the truth," her eyes matched the sharpness in her voice. "Do you have feelings for Marinette?"


	10. Chapter 10 New Romantics

**A.n.- I hope you enjoy it!**

* * *

"Tell me the truth," Alya started, her gaze could alone cut his skin with its intensity. "Do you have feelings for Marinette?"

Adrien swallowed hard, the collar of his shirt may as well dig deeper into his throat.

It was one thing to admit his feelings to Nino or Plagg, but Alya was something different. She knew Marinette, and the information could find its way back to her.

_Would that be such a bad thing? _

Would it? Adrien glanced over in Marinette's direction. He wanted her to know, but not from a side comment; he should be the one to tell her.

"Why do you want to know?" Adrien had no issue telling Alya as long as she kept it a secret, but he wasn't going to show how far down the rabbit hole his crush had gotten.

"Cut the crap, Agreste."

Alya had been spending way too much time with Tikki. But her harsh tone made him take a step back.

"Ok, ok, I"- he closed his eyes in defeat, "might."

"I want to help you become Marinette's boyfriend."

_Wait...what?_

None of this made sense. Why would Alya agree to help him with this? Unless he had other competition that he didn't know about.

_It could be Luka, _his mind interjected. _She did bid on his date after all. _

He shook his head. Tikki had assured him that nothing was going on between Marinette and Luka. But things changed, would Marinette let that slip if she did start liking someone else?

"Not that I'm not grateful or anything," Adrien started. "But why are you helping me?"

"Because you're a good guy, I think you two would work well together, and Marinette's other crush is a fantasy at best. I love the girl, but she can't live up in the clouds. That's where you can help."

So there was another guy, Adrien's heart sank. It had to be Luka. He was the only other guy that hung around Marinette with. Now he really might be sick to his stomach thinking about their date.

"What could _I _do?"

He had already been doing everything he could to keep an open line of connection between them. He tried to be there for her whenever she needed him. _He tried. _But if Marinette had gained feelings for Luka, all his effort failed somewhere down the line.

"Do I have to spell it out for you, Agreste? You _woo _her, and I can find out whatever information you want to know."

Having that kind of knowledge at his fingertips would be invaluable and would help balance the fact that he often turned to a pile of goo whenever she was around. Luka already had the advantage since he knew Marinette for longer, there was no way he could turn down Alya's offer.

"Alright, I'll do it."

"I knew I could count on you. I'll start my research and let you know." She pulled out a pen and grabbed Adrien's hand. "Here's my number if you need anything."

Adrien's mouth dropped as she sauntered off, wearing a smug smile. What had he just agreed to? An arm snaked around his, causing him to jump. All the meanwhile, his mind still swirling from the previous conversation.

"Adri-kins!" Chloé latched onto his arm, distracting him from his anxiety, if only for a little while. "I'm free tomorrow for our picnic, but tell me that we won't be sitting on the ground. Instead, I was thinking"-

Adrien tuned her out. He had this picnic planned out for at least three days; there was no need to switch things now. His eyes began to search the crowd until they landed on Marinette. Luka was talking to her, probably discussing their date.

He froze when she turned her head and met his gaze. Even from across the room, Marinette's eyes were nothing short of enchanting. Blue eyes reminded him of the skies that stretched across Paris.

She offered him a smile, although a kind he had never really seen before; a tint of sadness laced it.

Even though Adrien told her not to worry, he feared that his words didn't stick. He tried to smile back to reassure but was afraid that it looked forced.

"Adrien, are you listening to me?" Chloé jabbed his shoulder.

"Huh- yeah." Even if he did follow her instructions, there was no pleasing her unless he became her boyfriend, and that wouldn't happen.

Marinette had turned back to Luka, and they were talking. Adrien could have sworn that he caught Chloé and Luka stealing glances at each other for the next couple of minutes. However, before he could address the matter, Chloé stormed off, and Luka showed Marinette out.

* * *

"Are you sure you're ok, Marinette?" Luka knew that Marinette would tell him if something was wrong, but she wasn't behaving how she usually did. She showed up late- which in itself wasn't all that weird- but then she was distant, and kept checking her phone. If she had somewhere else she needed to be; she could have always rescheduled. They've seen each other plenty of times, especially in his band's rehearsal space. Having the official "date" was only a formality.

"What-oh. Yes, I'm fine," she stuttered out.

Luka internally sighed. She was always honest with him, and he was tempted to call out her lie. "If I'm boring you"-

"No!" Her eyes widened in embarrassment. "Of course not. Sorry, I'm not myself today."

Luka put down his guitar and folded his hands in his lap. "Do you want to talk about it?" Usually talking out problems wouldn't be ideal for a first date, but this was Marinette he was talking about. If something was bothering her, then he wanted to make it right. "Might make you feel better."

"I promised a friend that I would be there for them, and I don't know if I can keep up my end."

That would be upsetting. Marinette always prided herself in her word and kept her promises to a fault. That was one thing that he admired about her.

"Let me guess, Adrien?" He wasn't blind to how close they had become. There was a time or two where he had to curb his protective jealousy. Marinette was important to him after all. But she constantly told him that she and Adrien were just friends and that he had no reason to be overprotective. So he took her at her word, regardless of what he was seeing. Besides, Marinette acted that way a couple of years ago, and she didn't have a crush on him either. It had to be how she acted around her guy friends.

He watched as she nodded and refused to look at him. "Marinette, who did you think you were bidding on?"

Her skin flushed pink, and Luka wasn't sure if Marinette realized.

"Adrien and I had made a plan so that I would win the bid. He told me that it would contain video games in his summary. So, I bid like I was supposed to, but right before, Alya had told me to bid on number twenty-four, and I wouldn't regret it."

That made sense, but there must have been a breakdown in communication somewhere for her not to mention that Luka and Adrien switched numbers. Marinette was only doing what she was told. Luka's stomach churned. If they had not changed things up a bit, then she would have been on a date with Adrien, and he would have won a date with Chloé. Would that have been better? It wasn't as if she was talking to him right now.

"It's all my fault. I suggested that we switch numbers right before the bidding started."

Marinette's jaw fell open, and he looked away. "I told Alya about it, but I guess she didn't pass along the information correctly."

"Luka," her voice wavered in uncertainty. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You can ask me anything." He braved his shame and forced himself to meet her eye, offering a smile with it. Their friendship would fall apart if they couldn't rely on each other for everything that they needed.

"What's going on with you and Chloé?" Marinette started drawing shapes on the ground with her shoe.

Luka adverted his gaze as his blood ran cold. They had promised when they were kids to always be honest with each other, no matter what. He upheld that promise even today. There was no doubt she was questioning because she roomed with her. Luka bit the questions on his tongue. Asking how Chloé was doing was tempting, but now was not the time.

"It's complicated," he admitted. "But nothing we can't figure out." What good would it be to worry Marinette about something she couldn't control. If he told her the whole story, she would attempt to fix things for him, and that wasn't fair to her. He smiled, "So what are you still doing here?"

Luka allowed a smirk to play on his lips as Marinette's head twisted towards him in shock. It hurt his feelings, to be honest. They could hang out any time, but the only reason she was staying was out of obligation.

"But I thought"-

"Your friend needs you. Go!" he urged with a shooing motion. His confidence was all she needed before she grabbed all of her things and raced to the door. Before she left, she turned back towards him and flashed a smile.

"Thanks, Luka. I can always count on you."

He fought the urge to laugh as the bell signaled her exit; some things never changed. Marinette was charging Adrien and Chloé's date to crash it.

What if-

Luka pulled out his phone and typed out a message. It was a long shot, but maybe Chloé would surprise him with a second chance.

* * *

Adrien looked at his phone. Marinette should be calling him any minute to rescue him. He had endured the awkward conversations for over an hour. If he stayed with her all day, Chloé might get the wrong impression of how he felt about her - especially since she had been trying to flirt with him since school started.

Or maybe he was disappointed that the picnic he had initially planned turned into a poolside meal on the roof of one of her father's nearby hotels. It was as far as a picnic in the park as he could get. At least most of the food he packed wasn't going to waste.

He had brought his camera with him, but if he brought it out, Chloé would demand him to take pictures of her.

He picked up his phone and unlocked the screen again. Nothing. Marinette did mention that her date was roughly the same time as his. Maybe that's why she hadn't messaged him. The thought caused his heart to deflate. If he had to accept a reality where Marinette was happy with Luka, then he would. It would just suck in the meantime as he got over her.

A notification lit up the screen, and his eyes danced across the screen as he read.

**Marinette: Sorry it took so long for me to get here. Are you ready? I'll call in just a minute. **

She was here. Although Adrien had no idea what she was going to do, the second Chloé saw her; the jig would be up.

As promised, what seemed like seconds later, his phone rang. Adrien answered it before she could see Marinette's name.

"Hello?" He answered. Part of his role in 'Operation: Save Adrien' was that he had to keep a normal voice and not give anything away.

"Greet me like you would Nathalie."

Adrien was taken aback at how serious she sounded but complied anyway.

"Hello, Nathalie."

He had to remind himself not to smile too much. Usually, when Nathalie called, it was just a correction in his schedule.

"Just a moment." He had to put some distance so Chloé wouldn't hear Marinette's voice. He mouthed an "I'm sorry," to Chloé before he walked towards the roof edge.

"She can't hear you," Adrien assured Marinette, switching the phone to the other side.

"Ok, but you have to keep up appearances. Here's your story: your father booked you a photoshoot, but the photographer is leaving town, so it has to be today."

"There's a problem unless you bribed someone to get my car to come. Chloé won't believe that I'm walking to the shoot."

Even worse if she invited herself to come along.

"Let me worry about that."

What did that even mean? Last time he checked Marinette wasn't able to pull out a car out of thin air.

"I'll be waiting downstairs."

"But Marinette"-

A click indicated that she had hung up. What was he supposed to do now? Chloé was probably waiting for an explanation.

"Sorry," his hand flew to the back of his neck. He figured apologizing would be the best way to start. "That was Nathalie. My father booked a last-minute photo shoot for me and is sending a car."

He hoped that Marinette suddenly gained magical powers and conjured up a car from thin air.

"Well, that's alright," Chloé replied, tapping something into her phone.

She was incredibly cool about this...too cool.

"It is?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Of course, Adri-kins. The last thing I would want is to get in the way of your work." She tapped his nose playfully. "But there's no need to have a car sent when one of my drivers could take us."

_Us? She couldn't possibly mean-_

"Since my mom is a fashion designer too, I could provide valuable input."

Panic had started to set in. "You can't."

Chloé's mood shifted as she crossed her arms. "And why not?"

"It's a closed shoot." He blurted out. "My father doesn't want anyone whose necessary."

"What kind of clothes are you shooting for?"

Adrien blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "Underwear!"

If he could have facepalmed at the ridiculousness without looking like a complete idiot, he would have.

"My dad is branching off into something new. You know me: I'm the test dummy."

Chloé's face beamed with color. "Alright," she replied weakly, not daring to look him in the eye. "Well, at least let me walk you to your car."

As they neared the front door, Adrien's palms began to sweat. Marinette had sent him a one-word text containing the word bodyguard. He needed context. If she were going to be in a costume, surely Chloé would recognize her.

Once they exited the front door, Adrien spotted a big buff guy leaned against a car. To his surprise, the man straightened up.

"M. Agreste."

Marinette's text message clicked.

"Adrien? Who's this?" Chloé grabbed his arm to prevent him from getting closer.

He shrugged to downplay how fast his heart was racing. "He's a new bodyguard my father hired." Now all Adrien had to do was explain. "The car had to go to the shop."

From this angle, he could see the very edge of Marinette's shoe sticking out from behind the car. If he didn't send Chloé back away soon, she might spot it.

"Thanks for the afternoon, Chlo. It was good to catch up."

"We'll have to do it again soon." She agreed.

They quickly said their goodbyes and Adrien released the breath he was holding after Chloé disappeared inside.

"You were awesome!" Marinette's voice hit him before her jumping hug did. Reflexively, he wrapped his arm around her, bringing her close.

Adrien made the mistake of turning his head to face her. They were so close, too close. He did the only thing he could think of to save his brain from short wiring; he released her.

Marinette's cheeks reddened similarly as Chloé's did.

Adrien coughed and turned his head, fighting the heat creeping up his own body. "Thanks for being my partner in crime."

"No problem."

"Ahem," the guy leaning against the car interrupted.

"Oh, sorry, Dave. Didn't mean to keep you waiting." Marinette pulled out some money and handed it to him. "Thanks for doing this. Say hi to my parents for me."

"Will do. Have fun, lovebirds." He waved goodbye and got in his car before they could protest.

"He was my cousin visiting my parents. I got lucky when he called me for directions."

That made sense and Adrien couldn't be more thankful.

"Well, thank you for rescuing me."

Marinette cracked a smile. "What kind of knight would I be if I didn't rescue the fair princess?"

"Fair enough. Let me at least thank you. Ice cream in the park on me." It was the least he could do. His schedule was cleared for hours, and he couldn't think of a better way to spend it than with Marinette.

"Sounds perfect."

The park was practically empty for that time of day. Most Parisians had other things on their minds, like what to make for dinner or the long laundry list of things to do once they got out of work.

Adrien didn't mind; this allowed him more time with Marinette plus fewer glances from fans as they passed by.

She walked quietly beside him, ice cream in hand. Had he made things awkward by taking her here? This almost felt like a date. The thought reawakening the butterflies in his stomach. The only problem is his tongue was tied, and Alya hadn't given him any information he could use.

"Thank you so much for the ice cream. It's delicious." She said, continuing to enjoy her strawberry ice cream.

"Like I said, it's the least I could do."

Adrien stopped, resting on the fenced area around the lake in the very center of the park. The water seemed to go on forever. He knew that they could keep walking, and eventually they would loop back to where they started.

"I love coming here," he sighed. "My mom used to bring me here when I was younger."

Bringing up his mother was the last thing he had expected, but he couldn't very well take back the comment now. He shouldn't have been surprised by the next question.

"What's she like?"

An innocent question prompted by his statement, but he couldn't help but stiffen.

"She is—well, _was _one of the nicest women you would ever meet. She radiated warmth, and just one smile from her could lift any horrible mood. Then when I was about 15 or so, she suddenly fell ill and died. She was gone in a blink of an eye."

Marinette's free hand covered his, her fingertips gently curling into his palm with a squeeze.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know."

He refused to cry, not here, and certainly not now. But even as the years passed, it hadn't become any easier to let her go.

"It's ok," he offered a small smile the best he could. "She would want us happily living our life, not stuck in grief."

A silence fell between them as he cast his gaze back to the lake. The warmth from Marinette holding his hand offered him the comfort that he desperately wanted.

"Do you take photos?" She teased, catching him off guard, although, he did appreciate the subject change. "I thought models didn't have to carry their own equipment."

Adrien's mood lifted. "It's not for work. I've taken pictures for the last couple of summers now." He quickly unzipped his bag and pulled out his camera. "I started to get into photography because I wanted to be a better model, but then it just grew on me."

His hands danced along the frame of the camera, adjusting the settings as he saw fit before raising to his face, the lens out towards the lake. "I mostly take shots of landscapes more than anything else. I've found that I like capturing beauty for the world to see." He took another couple shots then turned the camera towards Marinette. She looked so serene staring out on the lake and hadn't noticed him changing his subject, until the second shot.

"Hey!" She playfully cried, putting her hand to bring his camera down. Adrien chucked and returned it to the proper place before nodded for them to keep walking.

The two kept walking until they stopped and made themselves comfortable on a patch of grass looking up at the sky, the camera placed to the side.

"So," a sly smirk spread across her lips. "Do I want to know what you said to Chloé, so she allowed you to leave?"

His cheeks heated like a wildfire. There was no way he was telling her freely that the best thing he could come up with was a fake underwear shoot.

"Oh, you know," he fumbled. "Just told her I had a shoot like you told me to."

"Oh come on, Agreste." Marinette's eyebrow gently nudged his side. "The girl searched the whole library, and you expect me to believe she let you walk out the door without question."

Adrien didn't need a reflective surface to know his blush deepened. Not just the secret he was hiding, but it was the first time she had used Tikki's nickname— and he liked it.

Marinette rolled up on her side to face him, eyebrow arched. "Why do I feel like you're hiding something."

Adrien remained silent; if he opened his mouth, he might incriminate himself further.

"I guess you leave me no choice."

Her fingers started to poke his sides feverishly. His body started writhing in defense, his hands desperately grasping for her to stop. Laughter filled the air between the two of them. Adrien could barely get her name out.

He managed to grab her hands to start a power struggle. Adrien pulled her towards him, causing the two to start rolling. Marinette screeched in delight. The victory was claimed once they stopped and she was on top.

Their breaths were ragged at best and smiled. The joy faded quickly when he realized that Marinette was on top of him. He needed her to hurry before his body betrayed him further.

"Uh—Marinette."

He didn't need to finish the thought. Her cheeks lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Right." She rolled to the side, releasing him. "We should probably head back."

Adrien stood to his feet and helped her. They headed back to the campus in silence, all the meanwhile, heads racing.

* * *

"Cookie, I'm back!" Plagg shouted through the door. He hoped she would hurry; the box in his arms was getting heavy.

Within a couple of seconds, he was greeted by his girlfriend stealing a kiss on sight.

"What's that?"

"It's all of our pre-recorded shows. I took them to back them up and categorize them."

"Sounds like a hot date," she teased. "Is that what you're doing tonight?"

"Unfortunately." He grunted, setting the box on his bed.

"Do you want some help?" She wrapped her arms around his waist

"I don't know," he inhaled a sharp breath as if it would be a tough decision. "The CDs might get jealous."

She pinched his side and made her way over to her laptop. "Just let me make sure I don't have any assignments due."

Plagg allowed his eyes to drift off his girlfriend to explore around the room. He couldn't put his finger on it, but it was different somehow. Maybe she cleaned up? The trash can was overflowing.

"While you do that. I'll take your garbage out for you."

"Oh that's alright, I can get it later."

But by the time she turned her focus back to him, he had already found what she probably wanted to keep from him.

"What's this?" The further down he read, the more he didn't need her to reply. She had been accepted into an internship over the summer. "Why didn't you tell me that you got the internship. You were talking about it for months." Was she hiding something from him?

"It's not a big deal; I decided not to go.'

Plagg couldn't even begin to believe that. Something had to have to happen for her to change her mind. What worried him most was that this was the first time he heard about it.

"What changed?"

"I just decided that I didn't want to go." Tikki wouldn't look at him and stayed glued to her seat.

"But why?" Plagg closed the gap and turned the chair, so she had to meet his eye. "Talk to me Tikki."

"I have a project to do. I think it's best if you leave."

Plagg scanned her baby blue eyes but knew that pushing this would be useless. His girlfriend was stubborn when she wanted to. It was hard enough to straighten up and take a step back.

"This isn't over, Tikki. We need to talk about this." With that, he headed directly towards the door.

* * *

Marinette rolled away from her textbooks onto her back and released a quiet sigh. Chloé was gone who knows where which allowed the room to be used for study purposes.

She hadn't expected to spend hours in the park with Adrien the other day, and she put off her homework to do so.

No sooner had she closed her eyes, did an image of Adrien's shocked face as she hovered over him in the park appeared. Why was this stuck in her head? It's not like she had a crush on him. Marinette groaned, and sat up, hands covering her face.

Alya's words must have gotten to her in her insistent nagging. Marinette would be the first to admit that Adrien was handsome, he was a model for crying out loud, but to think that she would even be remotely his type was absurd. She was thankful for their friendship; if she entertained the idea, then things would get messy quickly.

Her other phone vibrated, drawing her attention to her pillow.

Chat?

Her heart fluttered; this was how she was supposed to feel. But why was he texting her?

**Chat Noir: Ready for the date? **

Wait. It was Saturday, wasn't it? How could she ever forget that she had a date with Chat?

**Of course! Where should we meet up?**

Marinette bolted out of bed to change clothes and finish looking presentable enough. She pulled out a cute red dress and slipped it on and let her hair down.

**Chat Noir: Meet me in the parking lot by building C. **

Building C was on the edge of campus. There wouldn't be many students there at this time of day. Her stomach jerked, would she see who Chat was? Did she know who he was? No- she would have known if she met Chat Noir out of his mask.

**Be right there. **

She reached the top of the stairs, and her gaze naturally dropped. At the bottom was someone next to a jet black motorcycle.

A moment later, her phone buzzed.

**Chat Noir: Care for a ride?**

Marinette raced down the steps to meet him.

"Chat, this is incredible." She allowed her eyes to take in the beauty of the bike but didn't touch it. Knowing her, she would find a way to bump the bike and send it to the ground accidentally.

"I didn't know you could ride."She watched him shrug.

"I learned last summer," he explained.

Even though his visor was down, his voice assured her that it was still her kitty. Maybe this is how he planned to keep his identity hidden.

"So what do you have planned for our little date?"

In response, she was handed a helmet. He wanted to go for a ride? The butterflies started in Marinette's stomach. She hadn't ever ridden on a motorcycle before. Thousands of scenarios started piling in her head of things that could go wrong.

She must have looked nervous because Chat reached for her hand.

"Don't worry," he assured. "I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Marinette slipped on the helmet and allowed Chat to help guide her on the bike. His head turned back as he revved the engine.

"Hold on, and don't let go."

Marinette wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and rested her head on his back. Even with her helmet on, she could smell the cologne he was wearing.

The second they took off she squeezed him tighter and closed her eyes, allowing his scent to keep her calm as the two blazed the road.

"The observatory?" Marinette asked, staring at the scene.

Adrien couldn't get over how cute she was being; it would be hard enough to keep up his suave bravado without that.

"Are you sure it's ok for us to be here?"

Normally no, but there was a lot he could get away with by slipping the guard some money and an autograph picture for his niece. He understood Adrien's burden of popularity and the need for privacy.

"Absolutely. We have the whole place to ourselves." It helped matters that he scouted the place out a couple of days ago to know where everything was. He held out his hand and guided her up the stairs to the deck.

She tugged at his hand and stopped in her tracks. "What's that?"

Adrien smiled to himself underneath the helmet because he knew.

"Patience," he assured her before nudging her up the stairs. A sense of pride swelled in his chest as he earned a gasp from Marinette when they reached the top.

There was a picnic blanket spread out with an assortment of food that he had picked out. Music filled the air from a nearby speaker, and the guards had even lit the candles that he had given them if there was extra time. Everything looked perfect, just as she deserved.

"Chat!"

Marinette's million-watt smile spoke all the praise he needed as she took in the sight ahead of them.

"How did you- this is incredible."

"Dare you say perrrfect?" His comment earned her nudging him playfully. Adrien led her to the blanket and helped her down. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it," she corrected him. "I'm impressed that you pulled something like this off."

"You deserve the best." Adrien found that he quite enjoyed making Marinette flustered, the color on her cheeks only enhanced her natural beauty. Being Chat gave him a sense of control over his feelings and that he could never have with Adrien. "Close your eyes."

His heart started to ring in his ear as she complied. This was risk higher than anything he had done before. He removed his helmet cautiously. If Marinette peeked at all, it would be game over. Thankfully, her eyes stayed closed.

Adrien reached into the picnic basket and pulled out a black mask that he had packed. It was different than the outfit that he wore to the party, but he hoped that it would be enough.

"Alright," his voice faltered. "You can open them."

His body tensed, waiting for her reaction.

"Your helmet…" She trailed off.

"I figure this way would be easier to watch the stars." Every voice in his head wanted to run away with the way her eyes scanned over him. Being this vulnerable with anyone was scary, let alone with someone he cared about.

Marinette's fingers brushed the edge of his mask for a moment before she pulled away hesitantly. "Thank you," she whispered. "For trusting me like this. It means a lot."

"I wish I could tell you who I am."

"It's ok, Chat." She reached out and grabbed his hand and squeezed. "I understand."

Those words meant more to him than she would probably ever know.

"Chat?" She turned her head to look at him.

"Hmm?" He hummed thoughtfully, running his thumb against the back of their laced hands.

"As much as I hate to say it, we should be getting back."

Adrien was hoping that time would have stopped at some point during the last couple of hours. But it had to be past 1 am. He was sure that the previous time the guard looped by, he received a glare.

"You're right," he groaned, standing to his feet. Besides, Adrien knew that he wouldn't sleep much tonight. Marinette accepted his outreached hand, and he helped her up. Normally he would have expected her to let go so they could make way back to the motorcycle. He would come back for all of his supplies after he dropped her off; it seemed like the gentleman thing to do. Thoughts faded as he realized Marinette was still staring at him.

What was wrong, did he have something on his face?

"Your eyes…" Marinette's voice trailed off, and Adrien gulped. "They're so green."

She was close, _way _too close. But despite his internal alarms blaring in his system, Adrien couldn't help but slowly be drawn in like a sailor to a siren's call. Could they possibly pick up from where they left off at the party?

They grew closer and closer, and as Marinette closed her eyes, he followed suit. The anticipation was killing him.

"It's late."

Adrien's eyes burst open only to find she had backed away a couple of steps.

"We should head back."

He wouldn't admit that his heart sunk inside his chest, or that his legs may as well have been lead.

Did he do something wrong?

"As you wish," Adrien muttered and led her back to his bike.


End file.
